Hikari no Yuugi
by Ryuujin Dragon King
Summary: An enemy from the past is back, and kidnaps Yugi’s friends! All the Millennium Item bearers work together to save them, but is it enough? 11 – Yami is well again, so the gang is off once more. Contains evil girl kissin evil guy! Yami & Yugi star, not
1. Ryou no Musou

Angel: Hello! I'm Angel, the second member of the Trinity Girls! This is my first ever Yu-Gi-Oh! fic! OK, the first 2 chaps are pretty boring but ya gotta read 'em cuz otherwise ya won't know what's going on, but all the other chapters are really awesome, if I do say so myself! This pretty much focuses on Yugi (my love), but all the people with Millennium Items are involved. In this fic there are 13 items and 12 bearers (since Shaadi has 2) instead of just 7, and the stars are Yugi and Yami, plus the bearers of the other Millennium Items (6 of which I made up). Not all the yamis (I guess that's what you call them) have Egyptian names.  
  
Disclaimer: WAAAH! I DON'T OWN YU-GI-OH!!! WAAH!!!  
  
PS: Yami Yugi looks like Yu-Gi-Oh does on tv of course, but simply Yugi looks like Yugi, and simply Yami looks like the Yami Yugi with his blue cape (ever seen that pic? it's online and in Beckett's Yu-Gi-Oh Collector), and Pharaoh Yami (who comes in later on) looks like Yami on the box of the Playstation game, Yu-Gi-Oh: Forbidden Memories. HE LOOKS SO KAWAII!!!  
  
PPS: My favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! characters are: Yugi and Yami (they're both first on my list), Bakura and Kerihk (my name for Yami Bakura; weird as it sounds, I think Kerihk isn't really all bad), and Téa.  
  
"talking"  
  
'thinking'  
  
/ - Any Hikari talking to his or her Yami in his or her mind  
  
// - Any Yami talking to his or her Hikari in his or her mind  
  
Hikari No Yuugi  
Play of Light  
  
by Angel  
  
Chapter One: Ryou no Musou  
Ryou's Dream  
  
~*Ryou Bakura found himself standing on a rock in the middle of a still but vast ocean of water. Slowly turning his head, he wondered if he was dreaming. A strange mist blinded his view, and every now and again he'd feel a rain drop reach his skin. A mysterious flute tune was playing in the distance. He knew the song, but couldn't quite place it.  
  
His deep amber eyes shifted upward, staring through the fog that shrouded his vision. A picture became clearer. It was a young girl standing on a cliff, appearing to be colored only white, holding a strange staff with a glowing star in the center. He watched her a bit longer as she opened a strange black book with the Eye of Truth emblazoned on the cover. Then he unconsciously turned the other way.   
  
Behind him stood a lady with long, flowing black hair holding a strange silver bell. He couldn't see her eyes. She smiled, and rang the bell. The sound pierced Bakura's heart, and sent chills up his spine. The girl on the cliff looked up, and jumped to the ground, still clutching the book. She dropped it on the ground, and reached down her shirt, pulling out a glowing pink pendant. It glowed brightly, and -  
  
Bakura was now standing in a room made entirely of gold, the thirteen Sennen Sets (Millennium Items). Only nine of them were distinguishable. Strange voices were chanting, and every now and then the voices would say a word but it would sound fuzzy and slurred to Bakura. The words he did hear were, "Pazuru... Enjin... Tarekazari... Tsurugi... Saji... Munekazari... Kagi... Kagami... Tangan... Pazuru... Enjin... Tarekarazi... Tsurugi... Saji... Munekazari... Kagi... Kagami... Tangan... HIKARI NO YUUGI!"  
  
With that last shout, all the Sennen Sets began to glow different colors. He saw the Sennen Ring spread out two of its rays, and attach them into the Sennen Puzzle and the Sennen Pendant. The rest of the Sets attached themselves to those two, and when a complete circle was made, bright white light engulfed them, shaping into a diamond. Bakura shaded his eyes with his hands; the light was blinding his eyes.  
  
The flute music played on.  
  
He was back on the rock above the sea. White ribbons emerged from the water and fluttered around him, pressing against his face. Then they lowered near to the water, and wrapped themselves around his legs, pulling him under.  
  
Though he couldn't breath, he wasn't panicking. He looked up, and watched as the light above the water slowly disappeared.  
  
The flute music was becoming louder as he neared the ocean floor. The song... what was it?  
  
That song...*~  
  
"That song... where have I heard?" Bakura mumbled in his sleep. He opened his eyes, and found himself in the still darkness of his soul room. It must still be night out. He could see the giant moon glowing outside his window. The door connecting Bakura's soul room to Yami Bakura's was silent. His yami, "mou hitori no Bakura," was either asleep or thinking hard.  
  
Bakura touched his cheek where Yami Bakura had slapped him earlier out of pure anger. That dream had been tormenting him for the last few nights, especially that song. He knew he should remember it, but he just couldn't seem to remember the name. He winced when his fingers reached just below his left eye - there must have been a cut there. Yes, there was blood on his hand now.  
  
A tear trickled down his cheek. Yami Bakura's sneers played in his mind. He wondered what it was like to have a normal life. He'd wanted to die rather than be enslaved by Yami Bakura. He wondered what would happen if he told his yami about his dream.  
  
His mind was back on track. The lady with the bell looked familiar, so familiar in fact, that he felt sure he'd met her somewhere, and that bell too. Who was she?  
  
Sighing, Bakura rolled over in bed. He'd just have to brood over it tomorrow...  
  
  
Angel: Didja like it didja like it didja like it? Yeah, I know, I TOTALLY messed up the show with THIRTEEN different sennen sets and stuff but... bear with me! This is gonna get better! I promise it'll be good!  
  
Ryou: Yeah, yeah. That's what you said about Little Hope.  
  
Angel: ::pouts:: Be nice! It was my first ever fanfic.  
  
Honda: Yeah, and it stunk! I mean, whoa! I thought Jonouchi smelled bad, but -  
  
Angel: Ok, ok! I get the point! Hey Yugi, since you're so jumpy today, why don't you -  
  
Yugi: OH NO YOU DON'T! No, no, and no! I refuse to be your own Japanese/English dictionary! No, no, no!  
  
Angel: OK, bakamono, fine then!  
  
Yugi: Nyah, nyah!  
  
Angel: Watch your mouth, Yugi! I'll just have to do it this time.  
  
From the Desk of Angel:  
  
Pazuru - puzzle  
Enjin - ring  
Tarekazari - pendant  
Tsurugi - sword  
Saji - spoon  
Munekazari - broach  
Kagi - key  
Kagami - mirror  
Tangan - eye  
Hikari no Yuugi - "Play of Light"  
Hikari - light  
Yuugi - game or play  
mou hitori no Bakura - the other Bakura  
  
CHARACTER OF THE DAY:  
  
Today's Character of the Day is Ryou Bakura, age 15. Bakura was given the ancient Millennium Ring by his father, an archaeologist. He had only been recently transferred to Domino High when his Millennium Ring lit up and detected Yugi Muto's Millennium Puzzle. Yami Bakura, or Kerihk, had been living in him for quite some time, but only then did he take complete control, sealing Bakura in his favorite card, Change of Heart. Why this is his favorite card is unknown, but it is my opinion that this card represents the difference between Bakura and Kerihk, one half light and one half dark, each competing for control of a mortal body. When Kerihk dueled Yami, he played the Change of Heart card which contained Bakura's spirit. Yugi's gang was able to free his spirit with the power of the Puzzle. After that, Bakura joined up with Yugi's group to help them defeat Pegasus. In Pegasus's castle, hower, Kerihk was once again able to take over, though only briefly. He began to long for Pegasus's Millennium Eye, and plotted ways to get it, and the rest is *currently* unknown, since I don't have Isis's future sight.  
  
Bakura's dubbed accent is either British or Australian, which proposes the idea that he spent quite a bit of his life in the England or Land Down Under, and from there was where he was transferred to Japan with his family (in the original he was not from another country, but in this story I'm using Australia). He's a sweet and gentle kid who doesn't enjoy violence. On the other hand, he is definitely on the right side, because he was so desperate to destroy the darkness inside of him that he was even willing to die for it. Not much else is known about Bakura's personality, but as the story goes on, you can be sure we'll get to see where his heart really lies. 


	2. Shingat-ki

Angel: Ok. Yugi-tachi go to school and meet some new kids! Yah, some really kawaii girls too (my best friend White Rider/Truth Holder [he has 2 ff.net aliases] thinks Tea is cute - so do I, 4 that matter), but it's not a stupid romance-only story... quite the opposite, really! Although there is quite a bit of it... I'm still focusing on Yugi/Yami and Bakura/Kerihk.   
  
Even though I'm using Japanese names for everyone, I'm not going to spell Yugi's name Yuugi Mutou because I prefer Yugi Muto. And I am going to have the group be in tenth grade, which is the freshman year in Japan. Technically, as this takes place a year after their adventures from the anime, they should be in eleventh, but I find the age of sixteen to old for a kid like me to write about. o.O Still, there are a couple characters that are sixteen and older, but I can't imagine having ALL the characters that old! Anyway, enjoy!  
  
/ - Any Hikari talking to his or her Yami in his or her mind  
  
// - Any Yami talking to his or her Hikari in his or her mind  
  
Hikari No Yuugi  
Play of Light  
  
by Angel  
  
Chapter Two: Shingat-ki  
New School Term  
  
The sunlight beamed down on Yugi's face. He swiped at it, half-asleep, as if wishing he could brush it away.  
  
//Aibyou...// Yami called softly in his mind.  
  
Yugi rolled over and pulled the covers over his head, ignoring Yami.  
  
//Tsk, tsk,// Yami clucked.  
/Five more minutes, Yami, please.../ Yugi pleaded  
//Early to bed, early to rise.//  
/Benjamin Franklin said that./  
//::Chuckle:: You've been studying.//  
Yugi groaned. /Yami.../  
  
He opened his violet eyes and yawned. /Jeez Yami, you couldn't give me a break for once in your life?/  
  
//In my day, we had to get up at dawn every day, even on Saturdays.//  
/Urusei!/  
//All right, keep sleeping. It's not my fault if you get a third late slip and a detention.//  
  
Yugi looked at the clock and gasped. "I'M LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!!!" he shrieked, jumping out of bed.  
  
//Taku,// Yami sighed. Yugi sensed him shake his head.  
  
Quick as you please, Yugi was out of his pajamas and slipping into his blue school fuku. He brushed his hair best he could, and dashed down the stairs for breakfast.  
  
"Ojiisan?" he called, looking around the kitchen.  
  
"I'm here," came the voice of Sugoroku Muto, Yugi's grandfather. Yugi found him eating a Nutri-Grain bar and unpacking a new shipment of Star Wars Trading Cards in the back of the store.  
  
"Ah, you're awake, I see," Sugoroku chuckled.  
"Yami's my new alarm clock," Yugi snorted.  
Sugoroku smiled. "It's good to have him around, then."  
"Aw, Grandpa, you're taking his side?!"  
  
After Yugi's awesome defeat of Pegasus J. Crawford, Yugi had managed to free Sugoroku and Seto and Mokuba Kaiba from Pegasus's Millenium Eye. Just recently after Pegasus's flee from Kaiba Corp., Yami had revealed himself to a very startled Yugi. With the two now constantly corresponding with each other, Sugoroku and Yugi's friends had adapted to life with Yugi silently speaking to Yami, or Yami jumping out of the Millenium Puzzle whenever he felt like it. Yugi trusted Yami a lot now, but he still didn't know much about him. Even so, only those who had taken part in the adventures of Duelist Kingdom knew about Yami.  
  
"Go have breakfast," Sugoroku instructed. "You'll be late. Aren't you walking with Jonouchi and the others today?"  
  
Yugi gasped. "That's right! I promised Anzu I'd return her history notes she let me borrow! Ahhh, I'm going to be so late!" He dashed back into the kitchen for a quick breakfast.  
  
Sugoroku shook his head and chuckled. "He's so hasty."  
  
A while later, Yugi and his friends, Katsuya "Joey Wheeler" Jonouchi and Hiroto "Tristan Taylor" Honda were finally on their way to Domino High School for the new semester. Ryou Bakura hadn't been able to come because he said he had "family business," and Anzu "Tea Gardner" Mazaki was going to meet up with them half-way to school (in the Japanese version, only the girls and Yugi are called by their first names, excluding those from other countries like Bandit Keith Howard and Pegasus J. Crawford. So, even though they are called Jonouchi and Honda, their first names are Katsuya and Hitoro).  
  
"Too bad," Jonouchi said, referring to Bakura. "Probably his parents are gonna lecture him on somethin' or other. I hate it when my dad does that."  
  
"I don't know about that, Jonouchi, Bakura told me his dad's gone on another dig in Egypt," Yugi replied. His face brightened. "There's Anzu! C'mon, let's go!  
  
Anzu was waiting outside her apartment just down the street. "Konnichiwa," she said with a wave as her guy friends arrived next to her. "Ogenki desu ka?"  
  
"Daijobu, Anzu-chan," Yugi responded politely.  
  
"Yo, Anzu," Jonouchi said. Honda nodded in greeting.  
  
"Ready to go?" asked Anzu.  
  
Everyone nodded, and set off for the school.  
  
"It's April, a new year," Anzu stated as they entered the school building. "There'll be a lot of new students. I heard that a bunch of kids from Okinawa transferred here and are living in those dorms down the way there." She pointed to a large white building near the college. "They came from Tôru Secondary School."  
  
"This is a fact?" Jonouchi mumbled. Honda laughed.  
  
Entering their homeroom classroom, Ms. Mikage's class, they each grabbed seats next to each other and became so engrossed in conversation that they didn't notice right away that Bakura had arrived, a troubled look on his pale face.  
  
"Oi, Bakura," Yugi called when he noticed him. "Douka shita no?"  
  
"Nothing," Bakura sighed as he took a seat behind Yugi, at the back of the classroom. "I was just thinking."  
  
"Hey, how'd your real-life episode of 'Family Matters' go?" Jonouchi inquired.  
  
Bakura looked at him quizzically, then he laughed. "Oh, that," he cried, embarrassed. "It was nothing."  
  
"It's never nothing, so stop saying that," Anzu clucked.  
  
Bakura just smiled, and removed his blue school hat from his head to reveal his mess of platinum-blonde hair. Bakura was taller than Yugi but shorter than Honda and Jonouchi, making him about Anzu's height, so when she stood up to further question him, he found himself staring right into her sapphire eyes. His own dark amber eyes twitched nervously; Anzu had a way of making her friends spill everything.  
  
Fortunately for him, the teacher, Ms. Mikage, entered the classroom just then and announced that school was about to start, so Bakura was saved from trying to plead his case for the moment. Then, however, she left again to grab the attendance sheet she had left in the teacher's lounge, but again Bakura was saved from Tea's wrath because just then, a girl of about Yugi's size with short, rich brown hair with lightning-bolt bangs remarkably like Yugi's and lavender eyes dashed into the classroom, sweating.  
  
Bakura started. It was the girl from his dream...! Immediately his Millennium Ring began glowing under his shirt. He had to cover his chest with his hands to shroud the light.  
  
Yugi and his friends had noticed that many of the students from Tôru Secondary School had arrived already, four boys and two girls. One girl had bright brown eyes and long, glossy brown hair, the other possessed extremely long black hair tied in a braid and glimmering blue eyes. As for the boys, there was one with stylish dark brown hair with eyes to match, a wheat-haired boy looking much like Jonouchi with hazel eyes, a boy with unruly golden-blond hair and jewel-bright blue eyes, and another with dark blue hair and gray eyes, all dressed in the royal blue Domino High fuku (except for the girls, who were wearing their shocking-pink vests and royal blue skirts - I'm guessing from Anzu's attire in the first episode that their uniform designer just has a weird sense of humor as far as girls go, the boys' uniforms aren't so bad). When the petite lavender-eyed girl had run in with a yell of "GOOD MORNING!!!" they had begun to clap as if they knew her.  
  
"Well done, Mikage-sensei hasn't started class yet," said the girl with the long braid. "You're safe."  
  
"Thank goodness," the small girl sighed with relief, sinking to the floor.  
  
"But only by a hair," came Ms. Mikage's voice as she entered the room. The small girl sweatdropped.  
  
Ms. Mikage then decided to take roll. "When I call your name, raise your hand and say 'here'," she instructed, taking out her attendance book (note: I shall only be saying the names of the important characters).  
  
"Bakura, Ryou."  
"Here," Bakura replied quietly from the back of the room.  
"Daichi, Hikaru."  
The short girl who was still panting from being frightfully late managed to wheeze, "Here!"  
  
Yugi started. Hikaru? It was almost the same as "hikari." Yami sometimes called him "hikari" - it meant "light." Yami always said that Yugi was his "light side." Strange that she would have almost the same name.  
  
"Gotoh, Tetsuya."  
"I'm here," said the wheat-haired Jonouchi look-alike.  
"Hada, Dajan."  
"What? Oh! Here," cried the blue-haired boy, embarrased.  
"Honda, Hiroto."  
"Here," said Honda.  
"Itsuko, Ai."  
"Here," said the pretty, glossy brown-haired girl.  
"Jonouchi, Katsuya."  
"Dude, I am so here!" shouted Jonouchi, causing the other kids to laugh.  
"Mazaki, Anzu."  
"Here," said Anzu.  
"Midori, Takehiko."  
"Here and ready to party!" exclaimed the blond, blue-eyed boy with a punch of his fist.  
"That's enough, Mr. Midori. Eh, Muto, Yugi."  
  
Yugi jolted back in his seat. He hadn't been paying attention - the "Hikaru" girl had caught his eye. "Oh - I'm here," he said sheepishly.  
  
"Nozaka, Miho."  
A lavender-haired girl called out, "Here."  
"Saito, Ryoku."  
The dark brown-haired boy replied, "Check."  
"Takaya, Naoko."  
"Here," said the girl with the long black braid.  
  
There was a bit more roll-calling after that, then Ms. Mikage began school.  
  
Math was the second period of the day. But instead of walking out the door to her other classes (in japan you don't change classes, the teachers come to you), Ms. Mikage walked in front of the blackboard and clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.  
  
"Your math sensei, Mrs. Matsumoto, has taken maternity leave," she said. Many students exchanged surprised looks. "This year we shall be having a new tenth grade arithmetic teacher. She's a student teacher who recently returned from traveling abroad. Please welcome Ms. Kamui Tsumura."  
  
Bakura froze in his seat, an unusual look spread across his face as a young lady with long, flowing black hair and bright blue eyes waltzed into the classroom. The kids oohed.  
  
"Whoa, is she ever pretty!"  
"How old is she?"  
"Ms. Tsumura, do you have a boyfriend?"  
"She's beautiful!"  
  
"Hello," said Kamui with a smile. "I'm Kamui Tsumura. I won't be here long, but I can't wait to get to know all of you."  
  
Yugi then noticed the look on Bakura's face. He had turned very white. Yugi turned around in his seat and whispered, "Bakura-kun, you okay?"  
  
"Huh? Yeah, sure," Bakura whispered back, not truly acknowledging Yugi.  
  
Yugi frowned, but turned back around to face the new student teacher.  
  
On the other side of the classroom, Naoko Takaya shifted in her seat, her face twisted into a suspicious scowl. Next to her, Hikaru Daichi asked her nearly the same thing as Yugi had Bakura. "Naoko-chan, is everything all right?"  
  
Naoko shook her head and whispered, "Be careful. That teacher's not normal."  
  
"Huh?" Hikaru asked quizzically. Naoko shot her a meaningful shut-up-I'll-tell-you-later look, so Hikaru snapped her head back toward Kamui.  
  
Bakura's Millennium Ring grew fainter now, but the glow was still there, and it didn't leave until after school.  
  
***  
  
"I'm telling you, that teacher isn't normal," Naoko grunted after school that day. She and her friends were standing outside the school, talking about the events of their first day.  
  
Hikaru-tachi (which included Tetsuya Gotoh, Ryoku Saito, Ai Itsuko, Dajan Hada, Takehiko Midori, one older guy of about eighteen called Kokoroe Fujishima, and his ten-year-old sister Makimura) looked doubtful. "I'm not sure about that, Naoko," Hikaru said. "I mean, I know you're really good with things from the other realms and things, but... I really like Ms. Tsumura."  
  
"You hardly know her," retorted Tetsuya.  
Hikaru shrugged. "I just... trust her. I don't know why."  
Kokoroe snorted. "Gimme a break, Daichi. You trust people too easily. One of these days you'll find yourself in a trap."  
"Ro, niichan!" Makimura chided.  
Hikaru smiled. "OK, Ro. I'll try my best to be more cautious. But... call me Hikaru, okay?"  
"Daichi..."  
"I give up."  
Naoko shook her head. "Just be on your guard, guys. I sense something in her."  
Dajan blinked. "A Millennium Item?"  
  
"Perhaps. They all have a different aura around them that fits with the ki of the bearer. Among us we have four Millennium Item bearers - Hikaru, Ai, Dajan, and Takehiko. All of you feel different to me, and respond to different powers in different ways. You never know if a Millennium Item bearer is for good or bad. Look out for Ms. Tsumura. But, I'm not your mother or anything," Naoko added with a laugh, "you can do what you want."  
  
Hikaru grinned. "Well, you've never been wrong before, Naoko-chan. We'll see how this plays out."  
"Righto!" Ai laughed, punching the air.  
  
***  
  
Bakura waited until everyone else was out of the classroom, then he wandered up to Kamui's current classroom. It was the end of the day, and he knew he needed to talk to her - alone. He wasn't trying to be mysterious or anything - but boy, was he ever confused.  
  
Kamui didn't even turn around when she heard the door open. "Ryou, come in."  
  
Bakura didn't ask how she knew he was there. He stepped up to her desk.  
  
"Kamui," he said. "You're back."  
  
Kamui smiled. "Yes, jakutei. I'm back."  
  
  
Angel: That's chapter two! Hope you liked it... as usual, r/r! It keeps me going! Cliffhanger, huh? Well, serves you right! ::Giggles:: Kidding, kidding.  
  
Jonouchi: Hey, what's with all the Yugi/Tea junk I keep hearing about? What about ME?  
  
Yugi: Well, it's because...  
  
Jonouchi: Why?  
  
Yugi: I look so much cuter with Tea than you do!  
  
Jonouchi: ::sweatdrops::  
  
Angel: ::wicked grin:: Don't worry, Jonouchi... I've got an "evil" plan!  
  
Tea: ::gasps:: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!  
  
Angel: YES!!!  
  
Mokuba: Yay! It's my turn today! Boy, I love doing this!  
  
Seto: ::horrified expression::  
  
Jonouchi: You're weird, Mokuba.  
  
From the Desk of Mokuba Kaiba:  
  
Aibyou - pet  
Urusei - shut up  
taku - sheesh  
fuku - uniform  
ojiisan - grandfather  
konnichiwa - hello  
Ogenki desu ka? - how are you?  
daijobu - I am all right  
Oi - hey  
Douka shita no - what's wrong?  
Hikaru - sparkle or glitter  
sensei - teacher  
-tachi - and company  
niichan - older brother  
ki - aura  
jakutei - little brother  
A piece of kewl info - Yugi means game, and Yami means dark (according to some people on line - I'll look it up to make sure), so Yami Yugi basically means "Dark Game." Pretty cool, huh?  
  
CHARACTER OF THE DAY:  
  
Today's Character of the Day is Yugi Muto, age 15. Yugi is a shy, cute little kid with a heart of gold, but this doesn't matter to the numerous bullies, rivals, and bad guys that pick on him for no good reason. He lives with his grandfather, Sugoroku Muto, who owns a game shop near Yugi's school, Domino High. The whereabouts of Yugi's parents are unknown. Some say that they are dead, others debate that only one has passed away and the other works outside of town to make more money. Whichever theory is correct, it is certain that Yugi gets on all right with his grandfather. At the beginning, Yugi had no friends except for a childhood playmate, Tea Gardner. His grandfather gave him the ancient Egyptian Millennium Puzzle, a token meant for Yugi on his grandfather's deathbed. His grandfather decided to give it to Yugi early, knowing that the magic in the Puzzle may help Yugi. Yugi then did the near-impossible - he solved the Millennium Puzzle! When he finally put the last piece of the Puzzle together, Yami entered his body and became his "dark side." Whenever Yugi called upon the power of the Puzzle, he would transform into a taller, cooler guy (not to mention seriously HOT), a cross between himself and Yami. With the power of the Puzzle, Yugi embarked on his own adventure to stop Pegasus J. Crawford from collecting all seven Millennium Items and to save his grandfather who had been imprisoned in a card by Pegasus's Millennium Eye. Yugi also made friends with Tristan Taylor, Bakura Ryou, and Joey Wheeler, who is Yugi's best friend.  
  
In persona, Yugi has a big heart and never thinks about himself, always worrying more about his friends. But because of his lack of confidence and, not to mention, size, he is a target for many meanies lurking around, which includes the double-crossing Ushou, the eliminator Panik, the snobbish duelist Weevil, and even the sometimes-friendly sometimes-not champion duelist of the world, Seto Kaiba. Through determination and belief in the "heart of the cards," Yugi tackles each obstacle in his way with the help of his friends and the Millennium Puzzle in the name of love. 


	3. Chibi Akarui Shonen Yuugi

Angel: YAY!! I'm outta school! ... almost. But I'm done with my finals! YAY!!!! NOW I CAN UPDATE MORE OFTEN!!! Reviews would help *hint* *hint*. NO MORE PENCILS, NO MORE BOOKS! NO MORE TEACHER'S DIRTY LOOKS! *cough, cough*. I'm done.   
  
I have written an entire outline of this story. It's about ::checks outline:: eight pages long, with seventeen designated chapters. And that's only book one, cuz this ends in a kind of cliffhanger. The last chapter is entitled "Shirana Iaidani" which literally means "I don't know for how long." It's a bit of a boring chapter, 'cept for a fight between two of the yamis (Setsuna [Yami Ai] and Kerihk), but so what? Book two is called "Tsuyosa no Kibou," which means "The Power of a Wish." It'll probably be up sometime next year (considering how terrible I am at updating.) Reviews would keep me into the storyline! *hint* *hint again*  
  
S'more kewl info: Yuugi means game, and -o sometimes means king, so Yu-Gi-Oh literally means Game King (so what if it's spelt oh instead of -o)! Way past cool!   
  
Also, even though I'm using japanese title (i luv my japanese quick-trans program!) I'm   
not always sure if that is how you'd say it in Japanese, so don't sue me if I mess it up a bit. This chapter has a very uncreative title but... maa, naa.   
  
PS: REMEMBER THE SAKURA BLOSSOMS! THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR CHAPTER SEVEN!  
  
::Sighs:: Nope... no -tachi involved this time! ::sobs:: We begin with Bakura and Kamui finishing up their conversation... and then Yugi and Hikaru meet... but something not too good happens after that comes about... I hope you've all seen the third YGO episode, or at least the beginning of it. You'll see why, mwahahaha! I'm mean to people I like.  
  
Legolas: Oh, yeah!  
  
Angel: Legolas! Get back to In Places No One Will Find! You're supposed to be - actually Casia hasn't written that chapter yet, so I suppose you're still hanging out with Gandalf. Anyway, Casia will be worried!  
  
Legolas ::snort:: Exactly! I can't handle her gung ho!  
  
Angel: Oh, shove off. She's nothing compared to Kit.  
  
Legolas: ::horrified expression::  
  
/ - Any Hikari talking to his or her Yami in his or her mind  
  
// - Any Yami talking to his or her Hikari in his or her mind  
  
Hikari No Yuugi  
Play of Light  
  
by Angel  
  
Chapter Three: Chibi Akarui Shonen Yuugi  
Little Bright Boy Yugi  
  
**********************************************************************************************************  
Bakura waited until everyone else was out of the classroom, then wandered up to Kamui's current classroom. It was the end of the day, and he knew he needed to talk to her - alone. He wasn't trying to be mysterious or anything - but boy, was he ever confused.  
  
Kamui didn't even turn around when she heard the door open. "Ryou, come in."  
  
Bakura didn't ask how she knew he was there. He stepped up to her desk.  
  
"Kamui," he said. "You're back."  
  
Kamui smiled. "Yes, jakutei. I'm back."  
**********************************************************************************************************  
  
"So... did things happen like I told you they would when I left?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You know... that things would change drastically in our lives... for both of us. New lives, new perspectives."  
  
"..."  
  
"I must be right, since you aren't saying anything."  
  
Kamui and Bakura were sitting in a diner, each with a cup of scalding Chinese tea in front of them. Kamui's black hair was swept back in a high ponytail; boys who passed by goggled at her.  
  
Bakura sipped his tea, and grimaced slightly when it burned his tongue. Then he placed the cup down, stared at it, and finally looked at Kamui. "It isn't fair that everything happened the way you said it would," he accused (a/n: kamui's sort of a miss mackenzie character, no?). "On top of it all, you came back in my sophomore year, like you promised."  
  
Kamui laughed. "I never break my promises, Ryou. So... how're Kaasan and Keihu?"  
  
"Don't you already know, neesan?" Bakura joked. "Tousan and Keibo are okay. It was quiet without you, though. Tousan went to Egypt and got me... this." He showed her his Millennium Ring.  
  
Kamui gazed at the golden ring hanging around her stepbrother's neck. He had it... her Ryou had acquired one of the Millennium Items! Did he know that was what it was? Kamui decided not to mention it.  
  
"Tousan said he felt I was... destined to have it," Bakura went on.  
  
Kamui didn't say anything. Then,  
"And how are you? With the Juri incident, I mean."  
Bakura nearly dropped his tea. "J-Juri?" he repeated. "Oh - well, she... you know..."  
"Ryou, won't you just forget about her? Please? Do it for me."  
"Iie! I can't. Never! I'll never forget her," Bakura choked out, tears spilling down his cheeks.  
  
//Oh, please!// Kerihk cried, exasperated.  
/Shizuka ni!/ Bakura retorted.  
//Don't tell me to be quiet, you-!//  
  
"Ryou?" Kamui asked. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Hai," Bakura responded, wiping his face. "I can't forget about her though, Kamui. Don't try and make me." He pointed to a purple bracelet hidden under his sleeve with the name JURI written in gold on the outside. "She lives in me."  
  
Kamui sighed. "All right, then, jakutei. I won't force you to." She looked from the Millennium Ring to the bracelet on her stepbrother's wrist. "Ryou, you're wearing way to much jewelry!"  
  
Bakura laughed. "I was thinking about getting a nose ring, d'you think I should?"  
  
"Why don't you add some spangled shawls and sparkly barrettes, too?"  
  
"What, and get called 'cross dresser?'"  
  
"Ha!"  
  
***  
  
"You're joking."  
  
Bakura had joined his friends at the park. Yugi was sitting on the stone wall, his feet dangling two feet above the ground. Honda and Jonouchi were arm-wrestling on the picnic table, while Anzu was supposedly reading her favorite magazine ("Animerica") but was really hanging onto Bakura's every word.  
  
Jonouchi voiced his surprise again. "Ms. Tsumura is your stepsister? How come you never told us you had a stepsister?"  
  
Bakura shrugged. "It never came up, I guess."  
  
"You looked pretty surprised to see her there, Bakura," Yugi observed. "Why?"  
  
"She was studying abroad in Hong Kong, remember?" Bakura explained. "She got home late last night, when I was already asleep. Mind you, I did take a while to actually fall asleep - Kerihk was being himself again."  
  
//Shut up, twit,// Kerihk hissed.  
  
"Can we meet her?" Yugi asked brightly. "She seems nice. She's a really good student teacher."  
  
"Thanks, Yugi," Bakura smiled, but was cut off by Jonouchi.  
  
"Meet her? Visit a teacher?" he cried. "Yuge, you've finally cracked! We spend enough time at school with her! Now you wanna take up your afternoon with her?"  
  
"We could just go for a few minutes tomorrow," Yugi pouted.  
  
Anzu shook her head. "I can't come," she sighed. "My cousin's birthday is tomorrow, so we're going to Yokohama to visit him."  
  
"Too bad," Honda said. "But I'll go with you, Yugi."  
  
"Same here," Jonouchi added.  
  
"Great!" Yugi said happily. "Is that okay with you, Bakura?"  
  
Bakura nodded. "I'm sure she'd like to meet all of you. See you tomorrow, then."  
  
The friends stood up (or, in Yugi's case, jumped off the wall) and dispersed to do their homework.  
  
***NEXT DAY***  
  
"Yawn."  
//Tired, Yugi?//  
/I'm okay./  
  
Yugi yawned again. He was tired. But it was Tuesday, so he had to go to school. He was waiting outside Honda's house for Jonouchi to get Honda outside so they could walk to school together. There was no point in waiting for Anzu - she was already on her way to Yokohama, and Bakura was going to school early with Kamui.  
  
//Maybe you should go to bed earlier.//  
/Maybe you should let me sleep later./  
//No more eight o'clock shows for you, aibyou!//  
/Chill out, Yami, I'll catch up on my rest in math class./  
//::tutting:://  
/Kidding!/  
  
Jonouchi dashed back outside after talking to Honda's mom. "Bad news, Yuge," he panted. "Honda came down with a bad cold last night. He's not going to school today."  
  
"Oh, too bad," Yugi said anxiously. "I hope he's okay."  
  
Jonouchi snorted. "Too bad, I hope he's okay," he repeated mockingly. "Oh, dear! Poor Honda may die from this little cold! It's such a tragedy! The world will end!"  
  
"Jonouchi...?"  
  
"Well, you always act like it's the end of the world when something happens to one of us!"  
  
"I'm not doing anything!"  
  
Jonouchi decided to change the subject before things turned nasty. "Looks like it's just you and me goin' to Bakura's today."  
  
"Yep."  
  
They talked about other stuff as they walked to school. They talked about other stuff during free period. At lunch they talked about other stuff and picked at their food (tuna cassarole, yuck). The day seemed to be going smoothly, until fifth period - science class.  
  
"The composite family is the largest group of flowers, consisting of such flowers as Sunflowers, Asters, Daisies, Black-eyed Susans, Ragweed, and Goldenrod. The ray flowers surrounding the composite flowers head protect..."  
  
Jonouchi yawned as he listened to the new girl, Naoko Takaya, read about flowers from their science text book. Nothing could be more boring than this. Except white-washing a fence. Well, at least you were outside then so maybe this was more boring. He looked over to Yugi, who was sitting right next to him.  
  
"Hey Yugi," he murmured. Yugi looked up from the text book (which he had been doodling chibi Fushigi Yuugi Chichiri's on) and met Jonouchi's gaze. "Nan desu ka, Jonouchi-chan?" he asked softly.  
  
"Didja see how quickly that Hikaru girl got through her math homework?"  
"Yeah..."  
"Think she'd gimme a hand with the distribution process if I asked nicely?"  
"I bet she would."  
"Would you ask her for me?"  
Yugi looked surprised. "Nan - nandatta?" he whispered. "Why can't you do it?"  
  
Jonouchi looked uncomfortable. "Well... ya see... I'm a little self-consious around women. Even a totally harmless one like chibi Hikaru. Anzu's a different matter, though. I don't mind hanging around with her... and my sister Shizuka is - well, she's my sister! After that incident with Mai last year, I haven't been too comfortable around bishoujos."  
  
Yugi was about to reply when Jonouchi was called on to read. Jonouchi stood up, embarrassed, as he didn't know where they were in the chapter. Luckily Bakura (who was sitting behind Yugi) came to his rescue.  
  
"We're on line 32," he hissed.  
  
Jonouchi nodded. "Sages, basil, thyme and catnip make up the mint family, which have stems that are square and stout. Mint plants give off herbal odors when they are crushed. Some mints have nettles, sharp prickers on the stem..."  
  
"Mr. Jonouchi," Mr. Nagamatsu, the science teacher interrupted, frowning. "That is not where we are. We are on line thirty-two, the Buttercup Family. You are obviously not paying attention."  
  
"Nani?!" Jonouchi cried. "But that is line... ...twenty-two..." He groaned inwardly. He was reading the wrong line!  
  
"I told him line thirty-two, I guess he still messed up," Bakura whispered to Yugi.  
  
"Th-that - that's line - I meant - line -" Jonouchi stuttered, red in the face. Some of the kids began giggling. Tetsuya Gotoh shot Jonouchi an apologetic look - Tetsuya himself had already been given detention for goofing off.  
  
"Detention, Jonouchi," strict Mr. Nagamatsu commanded. "After school. You can help Gotoh here sort papers."  
  
"Yes, Nagamatsu-sensei."  
  
Jonouchi slumped back in his seat, ignoring the sympathetic looks Bakura and Yugi were giving him. Detention on the second day of school... how pathetic was he?  
  
It appeared that only Yugi would be going to Bakura's house that day, but he and Bakura had a talk and decided to postphone the visit to a day when everyone could make it. Anzu was in Yokohama, Honda had the flu, Jonouchi was in detention, Bakura was staying after school with Kamui... Yugi had to walk home alone that day, something he hadn't had to do ever since Jonouchi and Honda had become his friends. But he could deal with one day, couldn't he?  
  
Sitting at one of the outdoor lunch tables under the sakura tree after school (he might as well get his homework done now, and maybe by that time Jonouchi would be released from his torment - maybe he was a little lonely after all), Yugi opened his arithmetic book and started on the math homework Kamui had assigned. He stopped at a problem which he had no idea how to work out.  
  
"6!?" he exclaimed. "What the heck does 6! mean?" Frustrated, he shoved his bangs aside, thinking hard.  
  
"1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6," a cute, high-pitched voice said beside him.  
  
Yugi started, and looked up, only to see the top of a mop of rich brown hair. He lowered his violet gaze and locked it with a lavender stare - it was Hikaru Daichi, the girl who was strangely the same size as him. She was standing below the sakura blossom tree, looking at him.  
  
"Wha - sorry, what did you say?"  
  
Hikaru blushed. "6! means multiply all the numbers until six," she mumbled. "1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 = 720."  
  
"Oh." Now that she mentioned it, Yugi did remember Kamui explaining something about the ! numbers. "Th - thanks."  
  
Hikaru sat herself down next to a very self-conscious Yugi and pointed to his math book. "5² simply means 'five squared.' 5 x 5. If it was 'five cubed,' 5³, then you'd do 5 x 5 x 5. And here, with the -3³, you do -3 x -3 x -3, which equals -27. But you'd gotta remember that -3² would equal +9, because two negatives or two positives make a positive, but two negatives and a positive make a negative. And here - the one where you put the ? next to the number - the question is, what is 70% of 789? All you have to do is turn 70% into a decimal (.70) and times it by 789. OK?"   
  
(A/N: don't ask me to explain it any further - I hardly understand it myself! Note to myself: stop using my ff.net stories as math journals.)  
  
"Thanks, that really helps," Yugi said, smiling at Hikaru. He felt strangly comfortable around her. In fact, part of him seemed to know her from somewhere...  
  
/Yami?/  
//Yugi... this could be...//  
/What?/  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
Yugi blinked. He had been talking to Yami in his head - this girl wouldn't understand why he had been zoning out. "Oh, I'm okay. Um, your name is Daichi Hikaru, right?"  
  
"Yeah," she replied. "Call me Hikaru. Everyone does. And you're Muto Yugi?"  
  
"Mmhmm. Call me Yugi. Everyone does."  
  
They laughed. Her laugh was very bright, and Yugi's heart jumped in bliss.   
  
//It could be...//  
/Who?/  
  
"You're really good at math," Yugi complimented.  
  
Hikaru blushed. "I'm not that good. I don't really like it, but it's just easy for me to understand." She laughed again. "My last year's teacher says that it's because I'm good at strategy and puzzles."  
  
Yugi's eyes sparkled. "You like puzzles? Games?"  
  
Hikaru gasped. "Like them? I love them! Ask my brother, Keikeru, and he'll tell you how I spent every spare moment at the local game shop back in Okinawa. Do you?"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
As the sakura blossoms floated about them, they launched off in a conversation of their favorite games, which eventually led to a discussion about Duel Monsters, which, Yugi found out, was one of Hikaru's hobbies that she was very good at. She told him she'd even been to Duelist Kingdom!  
  
"You won the tournament, didn't you?" she asked Yugi rhetorically. "Good for you! I didn't get ten star chips in time, but eventually Pegasus and I faced off..."  
  
Yugi gasped, thinking back to Duelist Kingdom.  
  
*YUGI REPLAY MODE*  
  
Yugi had just defeated Jonouchi in the final tournament, and won the ¥3,000,000 reward, which he gave to Jonouchi to help his sister. Soon, he would be facing Pegasus.   
  
It was late at night, and Yugi had gotten up to go to the bathroom. He had to admit, the   
rooms at Pegasus's castle were nice. The bathrooms even had colorful hand soaps shaped like fish! After he finished doing his business (for lack of a better phrase), he wandered back to his room, not really paying attention to where he was going. In time he found himself next to the dueling room. To his surprise, he found the door slightly open, and two voices speaking inside.  
  
"You're too late, little Hikaru," said Pegasus's voice, slightly muffled. "The tournament is over. Yugi Muto has won the privelage to duel me, not you."  
  
"On contraire, Pegasus," the soprano voice of a girl demurred. Yugi hadn't known it then, but the voice sounded a lot like Hikaru's, except that it was slightly deeper. "I didn't come here to duel you with permission. You forced me to come to this stupid tournament by threatening me with my brother's life. The game's over, Pegasus. You've had your fun. I want my brother back."  
  
Pegasus chuckled mildly. "Oh, Hikaru-child," he sighed with a smirk. "I suppose you'll just have to learn the hard way. It's time to duel."  
  
*YUGI REPLAY MODE END*  
  
"Hi... karu..." Yugi said hoarsely. "You didn't happen to... duel Pegasus at midnight one night, did you?"  
  
Hikaru looked surprised. "Actually yes, I did," she responded. "But we didn't get to finish because -"  
  
"One of Pegasus's bodyguards interrupted you with serious problems?" Yugi interrupted.  
  
"How'd you know?"  
  
"I was there, Hikaru. I don't really understand it, but I -"  
  
She stared at him. Her face twisted, and suddenly her eyes looked a big different - a little lighter in color, even pinkish, like lilacs, slanted, more serious.  
  
Yami jolted. //Kiara!//  
/Who?/ Yugi demanded, exasperated.  
  
Just as quickly as it had come, it disappeared, and Hikaru's face was once more gentle and child-like.  
  
Just then, a familiar said over Yugi's shoulders, "Well, well, getting our homework done early, hmm? That's good study habits."  
  
Yugi yelped in surprise and looked up. Kamui was leaning over him, her long black hair caressing her shoulders.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Yugi Muto," the lovely young teacher said with a smile. "And Miss Hikaru Daichi."  
  
"Hello, Ms. Tsumura," Hikaru replied, grinning back at her.  
  
"Hi," Yugi greeted.  
  
"Are you having trouble with the math I assigned?" Kamui inquired, pointing to Yugi's   
open math book.  
  
Yugi blushed. "No, actuallly, Hikaru explained it all to me -"  
  
At that moment, a teenage male voice called over the fence, "Hey Hikaru! You've got a flute test tomorrow? You forgot this!"  
  
Yugi looked around, puzzled, and saw a tall, dirty-blond-haired boy waving a recorder, shouting at Hikaru. A teenage girl with short, wavy auburn hair stood beside him (think CardCaptor Sakura, Rika with auburn hair) Both were dressed in university attire.  
  
Hikaru gasped. "Domo arigatou!" she shrieked as she rushed to the fence to grab the recorder from the boy.  
  
Kamui straightened up, a pleasant but unusual look on her fair face. The boy just seemed to notice her standing there.  
  
"Kamui..." he gasped, looking exceedingly surprised.  
  
"You've grown, Keikeru," she giggled.  
  
Keikeru Katsura was Hikaru Daichi's brother. Well, technically they weren't really brother and sister. It turned out that Hikaru had been adopted by Takashi Katsura because she reminded him much of his deceased wife, Hana. This explained why nineteen-year-old Keikeru was so tall and fifteen-year-old Hikaru was so short. Yugi also learned that Hikaru's birthday was in the beginning of that same month (April 2). After wishing her a happy (belated) birthday, Yugi went on to his Japanese homework and Hikaru went home with Keikeru and his friend, who turned out to be Tali Takada. Kamui strangely knew Keikeru from somewhere, much to the astonishment of Yugi, Hikaru, and Tali.  
  
Jonouchi still hadn't been released from detention. Sighing, Yugi took out his Japanese booklet and began working on his calligraphy.  
  
The wind blew his spiky hair out of his face, cooling his skin. He brought the pen thoughtfully to his mouth, and watched a crow fly overhead. The spring flowers were blooming all around him, releasing their gentle scent into the wind, which carried it over the land. The sakura tree above his table swayed gently in the breeze.  
  
"It's so peaceful," he murmured. "I never noticed how the flowers make me feel so serene before." He sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the atmosphere.  
  
Suddenly the peaceful minute of time was destroyed when a shout of, "Oi!" brought him back to his senses. He stood up as crashes, bangs, and another yell were heard.  
  
//Nan desu ka?//  
  
/Dunno... but I'm gonna find out./  
  
Yugi tucked his Japanese book back in bookbag and tucked the math book under his arm. The pen he shoved in his pocket, and ran toward the noise.  
  
He found himself in a narrow alleyway. The voices were getting louder. Throwing himself past some garbage cans, Yugi spotted some shadows moving in the afternoon light. Looking closer, he saw the new Takehiko Midori boy lying on the ground, beat up and bruised, with two mean-looking bullies standing over him, snickering.  
  
"Not so hot now, huh flame-boy?" sneered one of them.  
  
"Wassa matter, lost your fire?" the other laughed.  
  
Takehiko tried to get up, but one of the boys kicked him aside. "I'm w-warning you, I c-can m-make fire - fire on m-my own," he panted. "You'd b-better w-watch out."  
  
The bullies laughed maliciously. "What a baby! Let's finish him off," said the first gruffly. They began to advance on Takehiko.  
  
Without thinking about what he was doing, Yugi jumped out with a cry of, "Yamete!"  
The two bullies glanced around, and finally spotted Yugi glaring at them. "Whudya want, kid?" asked the first.  
  
"Leave Midori alone!" he yelled, surprised at his own bravery.  
  
//Yugi... I don't think you should be doing this...//  
/But they're hurting him!/  
  
"Leave him alone? He's in our territory now," the second bully growled. "Come to think of it, so're you. Better leave, punk, or you'll end up just like Midori!"  
  
Although he was scared witless, Yugi then did something very foolish and very brave at the same time. As the bullies looked back at poor Takehiko, Yugi ran up to them, and, being so tiny, squeezed between them and stamped with all his might on their feet. With a cry of "Itai!" the bullies turned on Yugi, glaring down on him with utmost detest.  
  
Yugi took a step backward. Flexing their large hands, the two bullies growled and towered about Yugi. "Yer gonna get it, punk!" roard one of them.   
  
The next thing Yugi knew, he was on the ground. One of the bullies had punched him in   
the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. As he gasped for breath, Takehiko jumped up and ran out of alleyway.   
  
The bullies didn't stop there. One grapped Yugi's shoulders and forced him back; the other hit him hard across the face. Then they shoved him in the dirt.  
  
Yugi groaned and tried to stand up. He tasted the salt of his blood in his mouth - his lip was bleeding. It had been a while since he'd been beaten up like this... normally he had Jonouchi with him.  
  
//Yugi! Are you okay?//  
/... yeah./  
//I'm coming out!//  
/No! Do you have any idea of the consequences if I suddenly transform into you? Bullies plus magic equals disaster!/  
//I don't care! I've done it before! I'm -//  
  
Just then, a foot swung out of nowhere, knocking one of the bullies over. "What da heck?!" shrieked the bully who was still on his feet.  
  
Yugi looked up. There stood Takehiko... or what he thought was Takehiko. This kid was the same height as Takehiko (was was of average height, except for his hair, which was styled like Narutaki's from Steam Detectives except it was blond), but his uniform was orange, and much cooler-looking. His slanted blue eyes were burning fiercely, reminding Yugi of Yami when he was dueling.  
  
"You should be ashamed of yourself," he said, and his voice was deeper than Takehiko's, but something of Takehiko's alto voice hung in the notes. "Bullying people smaller than you is a sign of cowardice. It shows that you're afraid to stand up to any worthy opponents. There's no excuse for bullying, a lesson you won't soon forget when I'm through with you."  
  
"Who're you?" one of the bullies asked. Yugi saw something of fear shining in his eyes.  
  
"I am a summoner of fire and protector of families," the boy said. "And if you don't move, you'll have to face my formidable wrath."  
  
Maybe it was because of his powerful way of talking, or simply because he was the same size as them (though much thinner), but the bullies gave one last hiss of anger, then dashed away.  
  
The strange boy stared after them until they were gone. Turning his sapphire gaze to meet Yugi's violet one, he stepped over to him and helped him to his feet.  
  
"Daijobu desu ka?" he asked gently.  
  
"Daijobu desu," Yugi answered, looking puzzled. "How - who - are you Takehiko?"  
  
He smiled and nodded. "In a sense, you could say that." He pointed to Yugi's Millennium Puzzle. "Are you Yugioh?"  
  
"Sort of," Yugi said, expecting he was referring to his yami. "How'd you know?"  
  
Then he noticed the golden sword sheathed in his belt. The symbol of the Millennium Eye was engraved on its hilt.  
  
Yami grunted. //I'm coming out.//  
/Er... okay./  
  
Yugi closed his eyes. The hairs on the back of his neck pricked up, and he felt like his was being sucked through a vortex until he reached his soul room. He always closed his eyes for this part - the scenes around him unnerved him. One time he had kept them open, just to see what it would be like. He saw memories swirling all around him, like a twisted dream. When Yami was taking over, the words were all in a different language - Egyptian, probably. When Yugi was taking control, they were in Japanese, of course. Strangely, both could understand the other's memories, although Yami's were just quick flicks that he couldn't remember, because, as he had once explained to Yugi, there is a price to pay for immortality, and the price was the loss of his memories.  
  
*YUGI REPLAY MODE*  
  
"So you can't remember anything at all?" Yugi asked, surprised, as he and Yami sat on the edge of his soul room bed.  
  
Yami considered this. "I don't know. I can remember some things, but they're mostly the bad memories so I try to keep them out of my mind."  
  
Yugi looked shocked. His eyebrows furrowed sympathetically. "Don't you get... depressed? I mean, I sometimes cry because I can't remember my mom and dad very well... I can't imagine how it would be to lose an entire lifetime's worth of memories."  
  
"Depressed? Not really. Sometimes I wish it were different... but without any memories, I can't miss anyone I loved, if I did love at all. I think, perhaps, it's better this way, so I don't brood over the past, but can dedicate myself to helping you and making new memories." He flashed a rare smile. "If I didn't love back then, I know I do now. And that's all the matters."  
  
Yugi grinned back, the truth of Yami's words flooding warmth over his heart.  
  
*YUGI REPLAY MODE END*  
  
Now Yami was standing in front of the Takehiko-person. He opened his reddish-purple eyes and stared at Takehiko. "You're someone I knew, aren't you?" he asked almost rhetorically. Although he didn't show it, Yugi could sense slight uncertainty in his voice.  
  
Takehiko said nothing for a moment, then gave a stiff nod. "Your memories dispersed too?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, and if yours did too, how do you know my name?" Yami asked suspiciously.  
  
"It's not a happy memory that enlightened me. I was there at your death," Takehiko said   
quietly. Yugi guessed that it was no longer Takehiko speaking. "My name is Ahmose. In this life my young other half is called Takehiko Midori. I have the Millennium Sword."  
  
Ahmose... Flashes of memories zipped across Yami/Yugi's mind. Yugi closed his eyes tightly, shading them from the light. Yami, on the other hand, tensed in a way Yugi had never seen before - he seemed to be utterly confused. As memories came together like a puzzle, Yami only became more puzzled himself. Finally the flash-backs ended, and Yami found that all his memories concerning Ahmose had been restored.  
  
"N-nani?!" he exclaimed, surprised.  
  
Takehiko - that is to say, Ahmose - was shaking. It appeared that he, too, had been restored to all his memories of Yami, instead of just the one of Yami's death. He shook his head, looked curiously back at Yami, and then shook his head again.   
  
"So - I knew you were my pharaoh, at least," he said slowly. "Now I know more."  
  
Yami gave a hesitant nod. "You were a soldier-in-training, Ahmose son of Ramose," he murmured. "You could create fireballs out of thin air."  
  
They stared at each other uncertainly. Then, to Yugi's surprise, Yami began to laugh. Not just the short I-know-something-you-don't laugh he reserved for his dueling opponents, but a real, full forced laugh, and the tenseness left him, leaving him relaxed like Yugi had never seen before.  
  
"Did you know," he said through his giggles as he noticed Ahmose chuckling along with him, "that Kiara's here too? We saw her just a few minutes ago."  
  
Ahmose smirked. "I knew alright!" he said triumphantly. "We traveled through Duelist Kingdom together. You know, nearly all my memories have come back to me, because not only have I met the Princess Kiara and now you, but also Setsuna and Ay!"  
  
Yami looked surprised. "That means that six of the thirteen have been reunited," he said, "because Kerihk was with us. Zhur, of course, is within Pegasus's Millennium Eye."   
  
Yugi was confused. This was all very strange. Kiara? Setsuna? Zhur? Who were all these people? He stood up to ask Yami, but gave a groan as a jolt of pain shot up his arm.  
  
//Yugi!// Yami cried.  
/I-I'm okay./  
//No, you're not. I'm taking you to the nurse's office now.//  
/::stupified expression::/  
//Well, not like this, of course. Ahmose and I will take you there, then transform when no one's around so you can see to the nurse. You and Takehiko are in pretty bad shape.//  
  
Yugi nodded slightly. There was no point in arguing. He vaguely heard Ahmose and Yami conversing quickly as he stared around his yellow soul room, which consisted of a floating, sleeping bag-like bed, many swirling windows, one large window with the sun peeking in through it, no floor, and a box loaded with never-ending possibilities of things to do so he would never get bored. Yep, he was pretty set if he ever needed to let Yami have total control for a while.   
  
There was also the door that led to Yami's blue and green-swirled, cryptic soulroom. It was a large steel door that gave the impression that you weren't to go in there. It was the same going from Yami's soul room to Yugi's. They normally didn't intrude in each other's privacy, Yami being brought up to be a pharaoh and Yugi just considerate by nature, but the coldness of the doors served as a reminder, just in case. Sometimes, if they wanted to talk, Yami or Yugi would peak out the steel door and find themselves looking into a room of ever-changing colors. The colors represented their mood. When Yugi looked in that room, he saw Yami's mood, and knew when and when not to bother him. The same went for Yami, although he had better luck because Yugi was hardly ever in too foul of a mood to talk. For such a little, kid, he sure had a lot to say.  
  
Yugi found that Yami and Ahmose were already inside the school. Figures. Yugi quickly shut his eyes as Yami returned to his soul room, returning Yugi his body. When he opened his eyes again, he and Takehiko were standing directly in front of the nurse's office, staring at each other.  
  
"Well," panted Takehiko.  
"Well," Yugi repeated.  
They smiled.  
"Shall we bother the poor nurse together?" Takehiko asked timidly.  
"I think so," Yugi replied. To himself, he added, "Wait till I tell Jonouchi about all this!"  
  
  
Angel: WOW! Was that really nine pages long? Jeez, I typed that fast, considering most of the time I was busy rereading it and working on the outline. I am a fast typer. This is very true.  
  
Yami: Nobody likes a bragger.  
  
Angel: Hmph! Just for that, you can do the translations today.  
  
Yami: No, I can't. Neither Japanese nor English are my first language. I'm no good at this sort of stuff.  
  
Kerihk: HA! The game king always loses the spelling bees!  
  
Yami: :::whacks Kerihk with a large red hammer:::  
  
From the Desk of Pharaoh Yami, son of Pharaoh Ramses III and Nefertari (well, I think it's possible):  
  
Kaasan - mother  
keihu - stepfather  
neesan - older sister  
tousan - father  
keibo - stepmother  
iie - no  
shizuka ni - be quiet  
hai - yes  
nan desu ka - what is it?  
nandatta - what did you say?  
bishoujo - beautiful girl  
nani - what  
¥3,000,000 - three million yen (the little ¥ sign is ALMOST the same as the real yen symbol, except that has only one line across its middle as far as I know)  
domo arigatou - thank you very much  
yamete - stop  
daijobu desu ka - are you all right?  
daijobu desu - I am all right  
  
CHARACTER OF THE DAY:  
Today's Character of the Day is Takehiko Midori, age 15. Takehiko is somewhat rambunctious and tends to leap before he thinks, but somehow he always manages to come out clean when he makes a mess. Takehiko is great at basketball and excells in chemistry, but has a lot to live up to because he's got four older brothers. Takehiko sometimes resents having such a large family and the togetherness sometimes embarrasses him in front of his friends, but when you get right down to it he's darn glad to have a family that loves him and brothers willing to give him a ride in their motorcycle.  
  
Takehiko received the Millennium Sword as a gift from his third oldest brother, Izumi. Izumi knew Takehiko enjoyed collecting battle figures (anything from battle ships to guns to swords and shields) so he picked up the golden sword at a historical convention the year before Pegasus announced the Duelist Tournament at Duelist Kingdom. Takehiko did receive a duelist's glove and star chips and entered the tournament for the prize money. He was beaten in a duel by Hikaru Daichi, and after that joined up with Hikaru's crew, which then consisted of Hikaru, Naoko, Tetsuya, Ryoku, and even Ai. Takehiko's best friend is Dajan Hada, his partner-in-crime. A terminal prankster, you can always count on Takehiko to keep things "livened up" in a crisis (which explains why Takehiko gave Hikaru the nickname "Kiki" which means "crisis" because trouble seems to follow her like mosquitoes). All in all, Takehiko is a fun person to be around, but whether or not he has any true courage is yet to be discovered.  
  
Next time (I can do this now cuz I have a complete outline! YAY!): Chapter Four, Bakura Kyoujuu (as told by Tea): We had all become friends with Hikaru's gang, and Naoko and I hit it off right away. She was very quick to notice things, and right away realized the feelings I had for Yugi. We decided that the best place to talk about the Millennium Item's was Bakura's, because Yugi's place was too small and we had been planning to go to Bakura's anyway. We found out that poor Bakura, rich as his father is, is having some trouble with a certain clingy maid called Umi (poor thing, having a name like Umi). But I don't understand why he's so troubled about that dream, and is it just me, or is the sky redder than usual? 


	4. Bakura Kyojuu

Angel: ::Gasps:: Kanterkid's trying to strangle Casia for not writing another chapter of Elfstone... I've gotta make this quick so I can go break them up (who knows WHERE Kit is - probably trying to convince the Digimon 04 gang to make a guest appearance on her show). OK, this is when we finally get to go to Bakura's! ::Sighs dreamily:: He is so hot... Do you like Yugi's hairstyle? White Rider/ Truth Holder says that he doesn't, but I think it's cute. It's what makes Yugi Yugi, just like Tai from Digimon just wasn't Tai without his crazy hair cut (I can't believe he cut it at the end of 02! WAAH!). Oh yeah, and if you want info on Digimon 04 (yes, it should be out in september! I knew it was coming, yay!) then go to pojo.com! The American dubbed names and ages haven't been decided as of yet, so you'll have to live with the japanese info till then. But the best site for Yuugiou (the japanese spelling of Yu-Gi-Oh) is Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon and Yugioh/Yu-Gi-Oh/King Yugi/Le Roi Yugi. Spoiler alert!   
  
Bakura's dream in this chapter has some different things than it did in the first, so be sure to read it. It may seem odd, but I have a plan...  
  
I FINISHED THE OUTLINE FOR THE ENDING!!! Not just of this book, but of BOTH!!! It's really cool, if I do say so myself. Sorta sad ending, for me at least. I'm a life-is-da-bomb person but I also read too many stories where people get their hearts entirely stomped on so I've got a bit of a split-personality. Anyway it's very dangerous ::sniggers:: just to keep you all in suspense. I'm so evil. My name contradicts me.  
  
PS: Thanks to the reviewer who informed me that Malik is one of the other Millennium Item holders! I've read like 50 yugioh fanfics with Malik in them, and each time he was either Yami Bakura, a new character, a new Millennium Item kid, or an oracle dude. If anyone knows which episode he shows up in first it would be greatly appreciated! (But I know a lot more about him and Isis now so they come into the story in book 2.) I have renamed Yami Bakura Kerihk.  
  
Although I have taken a few creative liberties in the creation of this story, I still intend to include Takahashi's own Millennium Item bearers, so don't get thinking that my made-up ones are replacing them.  
  
Miya! Yuugi can also mean "friendship!" So Yami Yugi also means "Dark Friendship!" Kewl, huh? Or "Naaaa!" as Misaki Suzuhara from Angelic Layer would say!  
  
OK. I don't think I've done a disclaimer for a while, so... All this stuff belongs to Konami and Kazuki Takahashi. OK? OK. So there's no mix ups. Oh joy.  
  
/ - Any Hikari talking to his or her Yami in his or her mind  
  
// - Any Yami talking to his or her Hikari in his or her mind  
  
Hikari No Yuugi  
Play of Light  
  
by Angel  
  
Chapter Four: Bakura Kyojuu  
Bakura Residence  
  
"Yugi! You should've waited for me!" Jonouchi cried angrily, hands balled into fists. He, Anzu, Bakura, and Honda were over Yugi's house that night. Anzu had just returned from Yokohama, and heard from Bakura on the street that Yugi had been beaten up pretty badly by two bullies after school that day. Together they had gathered up Jonouchi and Honda and headed over to the game shop even though it was nearly nine o'clock.  
  
Now, Yugi sat miserably on his bed, a bandage around his left arm and numerous small scratches elsewhere. Jonouchi was glaring down at him, more mad at himself than with even the bullies.  
  
"Kamui told me what happened," Bakura said anxiously. "I was really worried, so I came down here as soon as I could."  
  
"I was worried too," Jonouchi added.  
  
"I'm sorry. I meant to wait for you," Yugi said, "but I was curious, so..."  
  
Worry lined Anzu's face. "Still, you shouldn't go picking fights to big for you! I mean, Jonouchi's one thing, he never thinks before he leaps -" Jonouchi shot her a Look "- but you..."  
  
"I'm sorry," Yugi said again.  
  
Jonouchi shook his head. "There's nothin' to be sorry for," he said. "You were just tryin' to help Midori. If anyone should be sorry, it's me."  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"I shoulda been there for you. Honda somehow always gets there for me, but I'm never there when my friends need me the most. I can't believe how pathetic I am, man!"  
  
"Jonouchi, it's not your fault at all!" Yugi argued.  
  
"Yeah, I second that," Honda nodded. Anzu and Bakura murmured their agreement.  
  
"No, you don't understand!" Jonouchi cried, looking extremely upset with himself. "I knew you were on your own! I was already outta detention by then, but I didn't hurry out there like you woulda for me, Yuge! I was hangin' out with Tetsuya Gotoh. We have a lot in common, ya know? It's like - I never think about anyone but myself!"  
  
"Jonouchi!" Yugi cried, bewildered. "Don't be like this! Besides," he added thoughtfully and a little resentfully, "I don't always need to be protected. I'm not a wimp."  
  
Bakura came to the rescue. "Jonouchi, if it was your fault for not being there for Yugi, then it would also be my fault for not taking him home with me even though you couldn't come anyway, Anzu's fault for going to Yokohama, Honda's fault for getting sick, Hikaru's fault for leaving when she did, and Takehiko's fault for waiting a while to use his Millennium Sword!"  
  
Jonouchi looked away. Bakura had made his point, and it had reached Jonouchi clear enough.   
  
Yugi smiled. "Anyway, it's not like this sort of thing hasn't happened before," he said cheerfully, as if this prospect would cheer everyone up. "I'll be fine tomorrow."  
  
"That's not the prob-"  
  
Anzu was interrupted by the creek of Yugi's bedroom door. A lavender eye peeked through the crack, covered slightly by rich brown hair.  
  
It was Hikaru.  
  
"Um, hi, can we come in?" she asked timidly.  
  
Surprised to see her there, Yugi nodded. "Er, sure, Hikaru. But why are you here?" They had only just met, and she was already over his house!  
  
Hikaru walked into the room, wearing a black and pink sleeveless shirt and pink shorts. Her short hair was pulled back with a pink barrette, and a strange golden pendant on a golden chain hung around her neck. The pendant was shaped like the Millennium Eye, and the pupil of the Eye was a crystal of rose quartz. Behind Hikaru were Naoko Takaya wearing a white and purple shirt and purple skirt, Tetsuya Gotoh was still in his school uniform, Ryoku Saito in his brown jacket, white shirt, and black jeans, and Ai Itsuko in a brown uniform with a blue tie and a brown pleated skirt, with her glossy brown hair swept up with a large black butterfly clip. Yugi noticed the Millennium Mirror dangling from her belt.  
  
"We've just been to see Takehiko," Hikaru said. "Dajan Hada was there, and they told us what had happened, so we came to see if everything was okay."  
  
Yugi was touched that they had thought of him even though they hardly knew each other. "I'm fine, thanks for asking," he said sweetly.  
  
"Mmm.... chau-chan, you don't look it," Ai said, bending down to look him in the eye. Yugi recognized an Osaka dialect in her voice. Her eyes were hazel-colored, almost golden-brown. Yugi felt Yami suck in his breath, and knew that the ancient pharaoh was more confused than he had ever been in his entire lifetime of three thousand years.  
  
Yami stared through Yugi's eyes, somewhat disgusted with himself for knowing so little. He could see Kiara through Hikaru's eyes, his little sister, the love of his life. If he only knew the name of the spirit inside Ai's magical mirror, he would finally be able to piece together more of the past.  
  
Ai then smiled at Yugi, and stood up to back away, accidentally bumping into Bakura. "Oh - sorry," Bakura said apologetically.  
  
Ai looked at him like she was surprised to see him there. "S-sorry, sorry," she breathed, turning red for some reason. Naoko giggled mischievously.  
  
Bakura's Millennium Ring then began to glow uncontrollably. It materialized in front of his chest, the rays pointing and whirring at Hikaru and Ai.  
  
"Oh, that's helpful," Yugi said. "It isn't like we couldn't tell that Ai and Hikaru had Millennium Items."  
  
Everyone but Ai looked surprised at this statement. "You mean you guys have Millennium Items too?" Hikaru asked, clutching the Millennium Pendant.  
  
"Yahh, Bakura and Yugi do," Ai said. She took out the Millennium Mirror. "I saw you in the mirror. And we're not the only ones - Takehiko and Dajan have Millennium Items as well. I'd bet the others are living in this city as well."  
  
"You think?" Ryoku asked, startled.  
  
"I dun know," Ai replied, "but it's possible. It's high time we got to know each other."  
  
"Definitely," Bakura said, nodding. "Why don't you all come to my house after school   
tomorrow? Yugi, Honda, and Jonouchi were going to today, but due to the circumstances, they couldn't. It would be a good time to 'get to know each other,' like Ai said."  
  
Jonouchi looked at the others grumpily. "We went through all the trouble to get to Bakura's today, and look what happened. Now we've gotta do it all over again."  
  
"C'est la vie," Ai said. When Jonouchi gave her a questioning look, she added, "It's French for 'Well, that's life, that's how it is.' It's my favorite phrase 'cause it's really true."  
  
Everyone laughed at this, and smiling, they turned to leave.  
  
"See you, Yugi."  
"Hope you feel better."  
"G'nighty-night!"  
"Ciao!"  
"Mata aimashou!"  
  
Anzu closed the door of the Muto's house. Jonouchi, Honda, Tetsuya, and Ryoku took off in a different direction, their houses being just across the street and down the block, which left Naoko, Anzu, Bakura, Ai, and Hikaru.  
  
Hikaru turned to Bakura. "Your name's Ryou Bakura, right?" she asked timidly.  
  
Bakura blushed and nodded.  
  
Hikaru smiled. "I noticed a lot of people just call you Bakura. Do you mind if I call you Ryou?"  
  
"No... but why?"  
  
"I've just got this thing about calling friends by their first name. It makes our relationship seem friendlier, more intimate. So, if you don't mind..."  
  
"No, I don't."  
  
Hikaru smiled cheerfully, and pointed ahead. "There's our dorm, guys!" she cried to   
Naoko and Ai. To Bakura, she said, "The students of Tôru get to use the dorms because we're so far from home. It's a lot of fun. Ja ne, Ryou!" She waved, and ran inside, Ai following close behind.  
  
Bakura smiled, feeling strange. But he could tell the feeling wasn't his own.  
  
/Kerihk?/  
//What do you want, baka?//  
/Who is she?/  
//She's Kiara.//  
/Um... who's Kiara?/  
//Yami's little sister.//  
/He has a sister?/  
//You of all people! You read so much on Egypt, I thought you knew that the pharaohs usually had many wives and many children!//  
/Oh - oh yeah./  
//Kiara was Yami's only full sibling. Everyone else were half sisters and brothers, so naturally, they were very special to each other.//  
Bakura couldn't believe it. Kerihk had only called him "baka" once so far! This was the first time he'd gotten this much out of the tomb robber.  
/So, why are you acting so weird?/  
THAT was a mistake.  
//I am NOT acting WEIRD! I can't even remember what she used to LOOK like!//  
/Gomen! I didn't mean to-/  
//Oh, go soak your head!//  
  
With that, Kerihk slammed the door of his soul room as a reminder to Bakura to not intrude.  
  
Bakura sighed on his way home. Kerihk was a mystery himself.  
  
Naoko and Anzu talked for a while longer before Naoko decided to follow Hikaru and Ai inside. The subject was at first Ai.  
  
"Osaka dialect?" Anzu said wonderingly.  
  
Naoko nodded. "Yeah, her mother is a famous model in Osaka. Ai spent most of her life in Osaka, so she can't shake the dialect. Now she works for Kokoroe Fujishima's electronic company. It's partnered with Kaiba Corp."  
  
"Working at her age?" Anzu gasped. "I mean, I work too, but not at a big company like that! So that's why she was wearing the weird uniform."  
  
"Ai's a very hard worker, even if she does have Osaka dialect," Naoko nodded.  
  
Naoko and Anzu laughed together when they realized that Anzu and Hikaru went to the same theatre arts school.  
  
"I had no idea!" Anzu cried. "I knew there was a Hikaru in the jazz and voice class, but I didn't know she was the same as your Hikaru!"  
  
"Hikaru spoke highly of you, but I guess she didn't put two and two together either," Naoko giggled. "She said that last semester you danced to 'The Prayer' and won the 'Dancer of the Year Award.' She also said your friends called you 'The only one who ever knows what's going on,' 'The one the guys listen too,'" - here Anzu laughed loudly - "and 'The perfectionist.'"  
  
"That's true, but Hikaru won the 'Singer of the Year Award' for her performance of Richard Marx and Donna Lewis's 'At the Beginning.' Her troupe called her 'The little angel,' 'The one who's always smiling,' and 'Everyone's friend.'"  
  
Naoko nodded. "I saw you dance in 'The Prayer.' You were great."  
  
"The singing was a nice touch," Anzu said.  
  
Naoko smiled. "You like Yugi, don't you?"  
  
Startled, Anzu almost fell over the railing she was leaning on. "Ex - excuse me?" she cried. "Isn't that a bit off topic?"  
  
Laughing, Naoko replied, "You wish he had come to the dance, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah, but it was sold out," Anzu sighed. Then she brightened. "He bought the video, though. That cheered me up."  
  
"So you're admitting that you do like him?"  
  
"... a little."  
  
"A little?"  
  
"... sort of."  
  
"Sort of?"  
  
"OK, I like him. Happy now?"  
  
"Genki," Naoko chuckled. "I could tell so easily. The way you were looking at him... He's a sweet kid." She winked. "Doesn't it feel better knowing that you can talk to someone about it now?"  
  
"I guess. But what if you squeal!"  
  
"I'm offended! I wouldn't dream of it!"  
  
The two girls laughed and bid farewell. Anzu went home with thoughts directed to Yugi, and Naoko went straight to bed, not thinking about anything at all.  
  
Yugi tossed and turned in his sleep. His shoulder ached in pain for no apparent reason. Clutching his sheets, he groaned and retreated to his soul room. Lying in his futon, Yugi breathed heavily as the piercing pain shot up his shoulder again.   
  
"Y-Yami..." he gasped, trying to sit up.  
  
At once Yami was in his soul room. The steel door burst open - Yami had heard him call. He rushed over to Yugi's side and pulled him to his feet.  
  
"Yugi, wake up! Are you all right?"  
  
Yugi's eyes snapped open. The pain instantly vanished. "Y-yeah..." he mumbled. "Weird..."  
  
~*Bakura found himself once again standing on the rock in the middle of the water. Slowly turning his head, he wondered if he was again dreaming. The strange mist blinded his view, and every now and again he'd feel a rain drop reach his skin. The mysterious flute tune was playing in the distance. He knew the song, but couldn't quite place it.  
  
A strange noise was suddenly heard along with the flute music. It was the cry of a raven, and the coo of a dove. One black bird, and one white. Bakura stared at them in awe. The dove suddenly swooped down and soared around his head. Its bright white eyes seemed to be calling out to him. He reached out to stroke it...  
  
The raven cried louder and darted down, pecking at the dove. Bakura cried out in anguish as he felt the pain the dove was bearing. Smeared in its own blood, the dove fell by Bakura's feet, and he saw that its blood was note red, but glowing white, like its eyes. Bakura hugged his body in pain. Tears pricked his eyes as he knelt beside the dove.  
  
~Anaiyu...~  
  
The raven's glowing red eyes sparkled maliciously as it soared higher.  
  
~Oleu...~  
  
Another bird appeared. This one was smaller than the others, lavender-colored with amethyst eyes, and weak in appearance. It bravely fought with the raven even when its shoulder was pierced by the raven's claw. At last the raven flew away, leaving, to Bakura's astonishment, the smallest of the birds the victor...  
  
~Niku...~  
  
There was more. There had to be...  
  
His deep amber eyes shifted upward, staring through the fog that shrouded his vision. The birds were gone, but another picture was becoming clearer. It was a young girl standing on a cliff, appearing to be colored only white, holding a strange staff with a glowing star in the center. He watched her a bit longer as she opened a strange black book with the Eye of Truth emblazoned on the cover. Then he unconsciously turned the other way.   
  
Behind him stood a lady with long, flowing black hair holding a strange silver bell. He couldn't see her eyes. She smiled, and rang the bell. The sound pierced Bakura's heart, and sent chills up his spine. The girl on the cliff looked up, and jumped to the ground, still clutching the book. She dropped it on the ground, and reached down her shirt, pulling out a glowing pink pendant. It glowed brightly, and -  
  
Bakura was now standing in a room made entirely of gold, the nine Sennen Sets (Millennium Items) floating around him, along with several indistinguishable glowing balls of light. Strange voices were chanting, and every now and then the voices would say a word but it would sound fuzzy and slurred to Bakura. The words he did hear were, "Pazuru... Enjin... Tarekazari... Tsurugi... Saji... Munekazari... Kagi... Kagami... Tangan... Pazuru... Enjin... Tarekarazi... Tsurugi... Saji... Munekazari... Kagi... Kagami... Tangan... HIKARI NO YUUGI!"  
  
With that last shout, all the Sennen Sets began to glow different colors. Yelllow, purple, pink, green, red, bronze, turquoise, blue, silver, and golden. He saw the Sennen Ring spread out two of its rays, and attach them into the Sennen Puzzle and the Sennen Pendant. The rest of the Sets attached themselves to those two, and when a complete circle was made, bright white light engulfed them, shaping into a diamond. Bakura shaded his eyes with his hands; the light was blinding his eyes.  
  
The flute music played on.  
  
He was back on the rock above the sea. White ribbons emerged from the water and fluttered around him, pressing against his face. Then they lowered near to the water, and wrapped themselves around his legs, pulling him under.  
  
Though he couldn't breath, he wasn't panicking. He looked up, and watched as the light above the water slowly disappeared.  
  
The flute music was becoming louder as he neared the ocean floor. The song... what was it?  
  
That woman...  
  
That girl...  
  
That song...*~  
  
"And so you divide the plane into four parts, like great slices of cheese cake. Does anyone know what these four parts are called?" Ms. Tsumura asked during math class the next day.  
  
Bakura's hand was the first in the air. It always amazed Jonouchi at how smart Bakura was, but he guessed that having the math teacher for a stepsister had something to do with it.  
  
Hikaru's hand was waving above her head. She was totally into this. Jonouchi sighed. When - WHEN - would he ever need to know about the Cartesian plane in his life? WHEN?  
  
"Miss Daichi," Kamui selected.  
  
"They're called quadrants," Hikaru said.  
  
"Correct."  
  
Gosh, this class was so boring! Kamui tried to make it fun, of course, but for someone as stupid at maths as Jonouchi, it was mere torture (a/n: I'm not making fun of anyone bad at maths - I'm not so hot at them myself. I mean, my year's average was a 94, but that's like, a super grade for me. I don't know HOW I got it. Good is an 85. I stink at it, really).  
  
Jonouchi looked over at Yugi. Of course, the kid was busy taking notes. Jonouchi sneaked a peak at his notebook, and read  
  
M- Cartesian coordinate system - divides into four parts (quadrants)  
  
Jonouchi then discovered how unorganized his friend was with his schoolwork. Underneath the Cartesian plane, Jonouchi found  
  
WC - world civics report on Belgium due Friday - three pages, double spaced, also number pages, cover page, works cited, outline, and pledge page  
M - the absolute value of a number is the is the distance it is from 0  
M - simple interest formula - i = prt (interest equals price times rate times time)  
M - TEST ON THE QUADRATIC FORMULA AND LESSONS 7.1 - 7.11 THURSDAY!!!  
LIT - Izumi Shikibu was a famous poet in the tenth century; she was in the emperor's court  
M - 2x + 88 = 5x + 7² is four terms, subtract 2x and 5x  
M - a²y + 4a²y are common terms (arithmetic pg. 188)  
M - what are polynomials? FIND OUT BEFORE TEST!!!  
HIS - William the Conqueror - WHO???  
SCI - herbaceous plants - non-woody, science pg. 76  
LIT - tanka - five lines (5, 7, 5, 7, 7), usually on emotions. WRITE ONE FOR MR. JAITO!!!  
JP - persuasive thesis outline due Monday  
  
Hey, everyone's got SOME bad habits.  
  
"Mr. Jonouchi, do you know?"  
  
Jonouchi face-faulted. He'd been caught off guard again! "Uh... um... eetou..." He looked pleadingly at his friends for help.  
  
Bakura was scribbling something on a piece of paper, which he handed to Yugi. Yugi unfolded it and pointed it to Jonouchi, pretending that it was just a piece of scrapbook paper.  
  
Jonouchi looked at the paper and read in Bakura's neat script  
  
52 cu cm  
  
"Fifty-two coo c-m... Oh -" Jonouchi gulped as he remembered, and said hurriedly, "I mean, fifty-two cubic centimeters."  
  
Kamui eyed him suspiciously, but admitted that he was correct.  
  
Jonouchi sighed and slumped back in his seat, snatching the piece of paper from Yugi and scribbling under the answer  
  
52 cu cm  
  
Domo arigatou, Bakura-chan, I owe you.  
  
This he passed to Yugi, who passed it to Bakura. A minute later it was returned to Jonouchi, now reading  
  
52 cu cm  
  
Domo arigatou, Bakura-chan, I owe you.  
  
Don't mention it.  
  
Jonouchi then stuffed the note in his binder, in case Kamui found out about the note.  
  
After school that day, everyone (including Hikaru and her gang of friends, even Ro and Makimura) met Bakura and Kamui outside the school.  
  
"Ready to go?" Bakura asked, smiling. Everyone nodded, and chatted as they walked to the home of the Bakuras.  
  
Anzu and Naoko soon started another giggly conversation, and Jonouchi, Honda, Tetsuya, and Ryoku argued over which was a better card, Flame Swordsman or Cyber Commander. Tetsuya eventually said that Gaia the Fierce Knight was cooler, but Ryoku said Kagemusha of the Blue Flame was his favorite, so the conversation took a new direction.  
  
Bakura and Hikaru were deep in conversation, talking rapidly with each other. Something had struck Bakura about Hikaru's bold inquiry if she could call him by his first name. She seemed to be a rather shy girl, but she hadn't been afraid to ask him that. He wanted to find out more about her.  
  
Yugi was talking more with Takehiko and Dajan, and he found out that Dajan was a very nice boy, not to mention Takehiko's cousin. He and Takehiko were also best friends, and each of them had a Millennium Item (Dajan had the Millennium Key; Takehiko, of course, had the Sword). Yugi was also surprised to learn that Takehiko had four brothers (Izumi, Kyosuke, Tsutemu, and Shota), all of whom were older than him, but Dajan was an only child. They couldn't have been more opposite.  
  
Ro and Makimura Fujishima decided to tag along, having nothing better to do. They knew Ai very well (she used to baby-sit Makimura), but Ai wasn't conversing with them this time. Naoko noticed the slightly jealous looks she was sending Hikaru behind her back. She had never seen Ai look at Hikaru that way. They had always gotten along really well (except for the one time when Ai thought Hikaru wanted to steal her Millennium Mirror so she decided to raise the stakes of their duel, but that's another story) It must have something to do with a silver-haired boy who was totally amazed by Hikaru...  
  
"Here it is," Kamui said, pointing to a large home near the park.  
  
"WHHHHOOOAAA!!!"  
  
It was almost a mansion. Mr. Yamamato Bakura had inherited a small fortune when his grandfather-in-law had died, and that, along with the money he made for his archaeological findings, helped him make his house look almost as good as Seto Kaiba's. There were many windows and balconies, along with a picnic table and a pool (think Tomoyo Daidouji's house on CardCaptor Sakura). There was also a large black gate with an intercom by the lock. Kamui pressed the button on the intercom.  
  
"Who is it?" said a strange female voice through the intercom.  
  
"Kamui Tsumura. I've brought company."  
  
"Kochira e douzo."  
  
To Yugi-tachi's amazement, the black gates opened wide automatically. Kamui led them inside the house, stopping to yell, "Tadaima!" before taking them to the kitchen, where Bakura's stepmother, Miyuki, was reading the Yomiyuri Shinbaum and drinking coffee.  
  
"Welcome back, dear," Miyuki said with a smile when she saw Kamui.  
  
"Kaasan," Kamui said lovingly, hugging her mother. "It's my first time back at home for the whole afternoon," she explained to her friends. "Yesterday I spent the whole day at the school and went straight to bed when I finally got home at eleven."  
  
"Thank you for having us," Ro said, bowing to Miyuki. Makimura did the same, imitating her older brother. Yugi could hardly believe how much Ro reminded him of Kaiba - tall and silent, hard-hearted and cool. Both of them only went soft around their younger siblings, and both of them were very smart. (Yugi had recently found out that Ro worked for the same company as Ai did, a large electronic company. It had surprised him that the two of them were working at such a young age, but neither of them wanted to talk about why. Yugi also knew that Ro had been considered the second best Duelist in Japan next to Kaiba, and now, Yugi.)  
  
Yugi then realized that Bakura was no longer with them. He looked around, and saw Bakura setting up the stove to make tea. At that moment, a pretty young maid with dark, wavy hair entered the kitchen.  
  
"Ryou-kun, I'll do that," she said sweetly, batting her long eyelashes. "I'm an expert." She made a move to grab the kettle, but her hand missed and she grabbed Bakura's arm instead. Was it an accident? She didn't seem fazed.  
  
"That's okay, Umi," Bakura replied, turning pink. Yugi thought he heard a bit of a groan in his voice. "I can do it myself. Gomen nasai," he added to Yugi-tachi.  
  
"Umi, that's really all right, Ryou can do it," Miyuki said. "Why don't you go watch TV?"  
  
"But Miss Miyuki -"  
  
"Really, Umi, that will do."  
  
Umi pouted a bit, but she slid into the living room and flicked on the television set (which had multi-channels and a satellite).  
  
Jonouchi slapped his forehead. "This is all yours, Bakura?" he asked, astonished. "Whoa, I had no idea you were so rich!"  
  
Bakura was considering using tea leaves instead of tea bags. "Yeah, it was a surprise when Tousan found out that my great-grandfather had left his entire fortune to him. I was born in Australia, you know, and I lived there until I was seven. That was when we found out about Great-grandfather's small fortune. Dad had wanted to return to Japan for many years, but we didn't have enough money back then. It was like a dream come true for him. Which reminds me, for the past few nights -"  
  
"RYOU!"  
  
The kids, Kamui, and Miyuki jumped. Bakura nearly spilled the tea (he had finally decided to use tea bags). He mumbled something like, "My father..." and shouted up to what appeared to be the first story roof, "I'll be right there!"  
  
Turning to his guests, he blushed and explained, "Uh, I think Dad wants something.   
Chotto mattekudasai." He prepared to dash up the stars.  
  
"Don't let him bully you, Ryou," Miyuki said in a small voice.  
  
Bakura stopped. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and refused to look at Miyuki. "Deep breaths," he told himself, "deep breaths." He forced a smile. "I'll be right back."  
  
Then he disappeared up the stairs.  
  
Miyuki stood up, traces of sorrow on her face. "He always treats me like I'm the enemy," she sighed. Although she appeared to be talking to herself, Yugi heard her words. "Can't he just let go of Yumiko and let me be his mother?"  
  
Jonouchi stared at the large ceiling. "Man, this house is big!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Big? I think you mean, humongous!" Honda corrected, equally awed.  
  
Takehiko and Dajan just gaped, at loss for words.  
  
Suddenly Yugi face-faulted. "Um... Mrs. Bakura?" he inquired timidly. "Is there a... bathroom nearby?"  
  
Miyuki stared at him, then gave an embarrassed laugh. "Yes, the only unoccupied one is upstairs," she said. "The maids are using the bathtub in the downstairs one. They're filling it with soup or something," she added to Kamui as Yugi, Honda, Jonouchi, and Anzu rushed upstairs.  
  
"Soup? What's with that?" Kamui asked. Miyuki shrugged.  
  
Anzu, Honda, and Jonouchi leaned against the wall as they waited for Yugi to come out of the bathroom. They could distantly hear two voices arguing in another room. One was Bakura's and the other must have been his father's.  
  
"Wonder what they're fighting about?" Honda said.  
  
"Dunno," Jonouchi replied. "Maybe Bakura flunked a test or somethin'. My dad sure   
screams like that when I get anything below a C."  
  
Honda looked dubious.  
  
Anzu was walking up and down the hall, looking at all the interesting pictures in the house. There was one door with RYOU BAKURA written on it on white posterboard. It was definitely Bakura's room, and the door was wide open.  
  
"What'cha found there, Anzu?" Jonouchi's voice came out of nowhere, surprising Anzu. She looked around and saw Honda, Jonouchi, and Yugi coming her way from the bathroom.  
  
"Just Bakura's room," she replied, trying to shove them away. Knowing Jonouchi and Honda they'd probably decide to snoop -  
  
"Bet he's got some interesting stuff in there," Jonouchi said. "Let's take a looksie."  
  
Anzu groaned. She hated always being right. "But he might have guy stuff in there!" she shrieked, blushing bright red.  
  
Jonouchi looked at her like she was an alien. "Of course there'll be guy stuff in there, Anzu, what did you expect? Dolls and pink dresses? He's a GUY!"  
  
Anzu thought about telling Jonouchi what was bothering her but figured the subject was too disturbing. She forced herself to follow her friends into Bakura's room.  
  
It was a light blue, good-sized room with a large window above a desk, sunlight pouring through it. There were bunk beds in one corner of the room, the top one with dark blue covers and the bottom one with royal purple sheets. Yugi stared at the beds. How come there were two? Was one just a guest bed?  
  
A mahogany dresser stood next to the bed, covered with glass animals and other collectibles. In the bookcase were many books on Egypt, as well as some fiction and comic books (mostly CLAMP manga, such as "Magic Knight Rayearth" - love that manga). There were many other things in the room, pictures, toys, and notebooks (along with a pretty nice PC), but, luckily, Bakura had put away all his "guy stuff."  
  
Anzu was looking at the photographs in the frames on Bakura's desk. She gasped and pointed to one in a round, brown frame. "Guys, check this out!"  
  
"What is it, Anzu?" Yugi asked as he, Jonouchi, and Honda hurried over to her.  
  
The picture Anzu was pointing to was of Bakura hugging a girl Yugi had never seen before. She was slightly smaller than him and looked like she was his twin with her long, silver hair and deep amber eyes. Bakura looked about ten or so, as did the young girl. They were dressed in kimonos and standing under a Kaya tree strung with lights. In the background was a large shrine. The picture must have been taken at a festival.  
  
"I know that place!" Anzu exclaimed, speaking of the shrine. "It's the Fudo Shrine! It's near my house!"  
  
Jonouchi blinked. "It can't be. Bakura looks like a little kid in this picture. He wasn't at our school back then."  
  
Anzu rolled her eyes. "Duh! Bakura was going to a different school! He's a transfer student! He still lived in the same house but I think he said he went to Trinitia, and the kids of Trinitia don't usually merge with us public-schoolers!"  
  
"Oh. Nanto."  
  
"Nanto? Jo-"  
  
"I wonder who this girl is?" Yugi interrupted the argument, picking up the picture.  
  
"Maybe she's his cousin or something," Honda suggested. "She looks exactly like him."  
  
A high-pitched yell suddenly brought them back to reality. "Who screamed?" Anzu asked. Honda, Jonouchi, and Yugi shook their heads and the group raced back downstairs.  
  
It was that strange, dark-haired maid, Umi. She had accidentally knocked the pot of tea over, and it was seeping all over the floor. Jonouchi and Honda couldn't help but snigger at the comic scene as Miyuki slapped her forehead and Umi wailed her apologies.  
  
"I'm soooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!" she sobbed. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see it there, really!"  
  
"It's all right, Umi, really." Miyuki grave a frustrated chuckle.  
  
Umi and a blonde maid named Noriko grabbed towels and cleaned up the mess, and Noriko started a fresh pot of tea.   
  
"Thank goodness Ryou didn't see that," Umi whispered to Noriko. "He would hate me if he knew I messed up the tea he was making for his friends." She sniffled. "Come to think of it, he seems as if he's avoiding me lately. Could it be that he doesn't like me?"  
  
"You sure are sharp," Noriko mumbled.  
  
"No-ri-ko!" Umi whined, placing tea bags in the pitcher. "You know I like him sooooo much! How can you be so *sniff* mean?"  
  
At that moment Bakura can downstairs, gingerly touching a red mark on his cheek. Yugi's eyes widened. "Kerihk?" he whispered, speaking of the mark. "He hit you?"  
  
Bakura made a face. "No, not Kerihk."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"... my father."  
  
"Oh," Yugi said, and bit his lip. It didn't sound like a subject Bakura really wanted to talk about.  
  
Noriko and Umi slipped out of the kitchen as soon as they saw Bakura come down the steps. Indifferent to any of the goings-on while he had been with his father, Bakura smiled and asked the group to head into the living room. "I'll be there in a minute," he said. "I want to talk to you about something."  
  
Nodding, Yugi-tachi left the kitchen and entered the living room. Plopping himself on a couch, Yugi considered the words Bakura had just said, "... my father." So not only did Bakura have to deal with Kerihk's semi-madness, but his own father didn't treat him too well either. And he didn't seem to have much of a soft spot for his stepmother, either.   
  
"Odd," Yugi murmured to no one in particular. "He's usually really nice and easy-going. Wonder why?"  
  
Anzu and Naoko shared a sofa near the large television. Ai, Hikaru, Ro, and Makimura sat on the same couch as Yugi, and Ai took out her watch for ten-year-old Makimura to play with. Dajan and Takehiko took to the floor in front of the TV, which was playing an infomerical for zit cream. Tetsuya, Jonouchi, Honda, and Ryoku sat in some comfy chairs near Yugi's couch (Yugi was amazed at how many chairs were in that living room). Kamui also took a seat in a blue chair with her mom's copy of the newspaper, the Yomiyuri Shinbaum.  
  
A moment later, Bakura entered the living room, smiling and holding a silver tray with matching tea cups and pitchers of tea. "Here's the tea," he said, handing everyone a tea cup. Everyone thanked him, but Jonouchi took his cup at glared at it, as if he suspected Bakura had poisoned it.  
  
"What kind is it?" he asked doubtfully.  
  
"Chinese herbal," Bakura answered, slightly confused.  
  
Jonouchi made faces at his tea as if it was his loathsome enemy. Bakura looked at his strange expression and laughed.  
  
"Um, Jonouchi?" he giggled, holding up the tray. "Milk and sugar?"  
  
Jonouchi's eyes brightened as he scooped sugar into his tea. "Thanks Bakura, you're a pal."  
  
Anzu, Honda, and Yugi exchanged glances, and burst out laughing.  
  
***  
  
"It's been reocurring for the past week," Bakura said, explaining about his dream. The others listened intently (but they still took time to drink their tea). Yugi had brought up the concern of a certain raven-haired lady sitting near them (Kamui to you people with less than -55 IQ), but Kamui said, "You don't have to worry about me. I'll look the other way."  
  
(Don't sweatdrop.)  
  
"Go on," Hikaru said gently. "It's only us."  
  
"Yes, well, you see, I was told that when something is repeatedly in your mind without your effort and if it fills you with dread, then you should really pay attention to it because it might not stop bothering you until it comes true. In this dream, a lot of it takes place around a cliff by the ocean. The Millennium Items are involved, and there's also this strange golden room. Also, this song plays in the distance, but it's too far off for me to recognize it. And there are these weird birds, one black, one white, and one purple. The black one defeats the white, but the purple makes the black one fly away. Anyway, then there's this book with the Eye on the cover, and the inscriptions inside it glow, like if you read it, everything will... light up or something. This bell rings and I feel like I'm being sucked into a - a gap, a dark hole. There, all the Items combine into one big ring, only it's shaped like a diamond. It glows brightly, and then I'm back at the beach. These ribbons come out of the water and pull me down. I'm drowning, but I'm not afraid, and that - that music keeps playing... It's really freaky," he added, blushing.   
  
Ro's face twisted. "The ocean and a floating book? Ribbons coming out of the water? Are you taking sleeping pills or something? There are side effects to those things, you know."  
  
"No!" Bakura shook his head furiously. "I don't take sleeping pills!"  
  
"Prescription medicine? Aspirin? Steroids?"  
  
"Of course not - steroids? Before bed? You have got to be kidding."  
  
"Maybe not steroids. How about Coca Cola? I've heard rumors that Cola gives you nightmares -"  
  
"NO!"  
  
Everyone else sweatdropped.  
  
Yugi scratched his head. "That's very... unusual."  
  
"Mmhmm," Hikaru added. "How long have you been having it?"  
  
Bakura sighed. "Gosh, I don't know. I said a week earlier, but it may have been longer. It really started getting clear the day I met you guys." He nodded at Hikaru and her friends.  
  
"The weirdest part," Ai put in, "was when all the Millennium Items started floating around. Does that mean that we've gotta go find the other bearers and hold hands with 'em? That's a little sick, and I am not holding hands with any pokie Pegasus!"  
  
"Pokie?" Naoko inquired.  
  
"He's a teeny-weeny-pokie-pooh if you ask me!" Ai sneered.  
  
"Let's stop quoting CardCaptor Sakura," Anzu pleaded.  
  
"The part that most interests me," Naoko muttered, "is why Bakura's having these dreams and no one else."  
  
No one heard Naoko's comment. Only one with very sensitive ears could've made it out. One who wasn't as preoccupied as the others. But she held her tongue and didn't respond.  
  
"I wonder if it means something," Hikaru said softly.  
  
"What do you think it means, Hikaru?" Takehiko said slowly. A smile spread across his face. "That soon Bakura will fall out of his bed from nightmares too?"  
  
Takehiko and Dajan laughed. Ai frowned at them. "What do you mean?" asked Yugi.  
  
Hikaru looked embarrassed. "Well... for the past three nights, at exactly midnight, I've been falling out of my bed. It was exactly midnight each time, like I said. I'm not known to do that often, so it was sorta bothering me. I felt like I was under some kinda pressure or something..."  
  
Bakura looked shocked. Midnight? That was the time he always woke up from his dreams? But - but -  
  
"I woke up at midnight last night too," Yugi said with a nervous smile, "but that was because I had some pain in my shoulder. It didn't mean anything."  
  
Dajan sighed. "All this because of the Millennium Items... I'll never forget when I found the Key in my uncle's antique desk. He let me have it, and after that, nothing was the same..."  
  
*DAJAN REPLAY MODE*  
  
Dajan looked around the cells. There were many people in them, most of which seemed to only be bodies because Pegasus had trapped their souls. He remembered the soul cards Hikaru had found earlier - an old man in overalls, the two Duel Monster champions, a boy with long black hair, a girl undoubtedly Ro's sister, and Hikaru's brother. This was where most of their bodies were being kept.  
  
At that moment, there was a high shrieking sound and the room filled with an enormous roar. Dajan clutched at his ears until the sound passed. Looking up, he realized that Pegasus's prisoners were waking up out of some trance. Almost in a daze, Mokuba Kaiba ran into his brother's arms, and the others wondered where they were.  
  
After much explaining, Dajan wondered how he was going to free them without the key to the cells. He snapped his fingers. "I've got it! I'll try using the Millennium Key!" With a little hope he pushed the golden key into the lock and turned it. It worked, and the door opened!  
  
The effect of the Millennium Key was very helpful - it could unlock any lock!  
  
*DAJAN REPLAY MODE END*  
  
"That's cool, but I'll never forget what my Millennium Sword was able to do," Takehiko said. "My brother Izumi gave it to me, believe it or not..."  
  
*TAKEHIKO REPLAY MODE*  
  
Hikaru-tachi gasped as they heard a rustling in the bushes. "What's that?" asked Ai, sounding worried.  
  
"I don't know," Hikaru said, stepping backwards.  
  
Out of the bushes came two kids, dark-haired Dajan and fair-haired Takehiko. They looked around. "Hi, guys," Takehiko said.  
  
"It's Midori and Hada!" Tetsuya exclaimed.  
  
"What're you two doing out here?" Ryoku asked.  
  
"Same as you," Dajan said. "We're here for the tournament. Well, Takehiko is,   
anyway. I'm just cheer leading."  
  
They all gathered around the fire and talked about the tournament. Takehiko said he had entered it for the prize money so he could pay for his second oldest brother's college tuition.  
  
"That's all?" Tetsuya sniggered. "That's why you duel? Ai duels for her "almost-sister,"   
Makimura, and Hikaru duels for her brother, but you duel for money? How lame!"  
  
"Tetsuya, it's important to him, and that makes it a worthy cause," Hikaru jumped in, defending Takehiko. But after that Takehiko wondered if his cause was worthy after all.  
  
Not long after, Takehiko, Ai, and Hikaru came up with ten star chips each, but on the way to the castle they were trapped by four strange minions of Pegasus's led by one "Jyor-lang." Jyor-lang and Yami Hikaru were tied to ropes and were playing a game with the duel monsters cards. Whoever could pick the card with the highest attack power would get to climb toward the top. The first player to reach the top would win. Unfortunately, Jyor-lang didn't follow the rules and tried to pull Hikaru down.  
  
Full of rage, Yami Takehiko took out his Millennium sword, allowing the spirit inside of him to guide it. He slashed at Jyor-lang's rope and saved Hikaru from his wrath.  
  
"Thanks, Takehiko," Hikaru said breathlessly. "But now, how do we get back to the others?"  
  
It was then that Takehiko realized he and Hikaru were trapped on a plot of land over a canyon. Suddenly the eye symbol on the hilt of the Sword began to glow, and a string of light reached out from the cliff and onto the land. Takehiko and Hikaru were able to climb across the canyon.  
  
*TAKEHIKO REPLAY MODE END*  
  
"I was given my Millennium Pendant from Naoko's mother," Hikaru said...  
  
*HIKARU REPLAY MODE*  
  
"You look so much like my Chiaki," Tamayo Takaya sighed in bliss, looking at Hikaru. "She always said, if she had a daughter, she would name her Hikaru. Chiaki was my best friend in high school..."  
  
Tamayo reached behind her and pulled out a small golden box. "Hikaru, your mother wore this on her wedding day. She always meant it for you."  
  
Hikaru opened the box. Inside, on white velvet cushion, was a beautiful golden pendant on a chain. In the center of the pendant was a crystal of rose quartz. Hikaru gasped in delight.  
  
"That's pure gold," Tamayo said. "It's worth a lot of money, but it belongs to you now. It's an heirloom I would never sell."  
  
"My mother wore this?" Hikaru said softly. She smiled up at Tamayo. "Arigatou, Mrs. Takaya. I'll keep it forever."  
  
*HIKARU REPLAY MODE END*  
  
Ai laughed. "You three got your Millennium Items easily enough, but it was strange the way my Mirror came to me..."  
  
*AI REPLAY MODE*  
  
"Ai! Hurry up!" Ai's friend Emi begged. "They'll leave without us!"  
  
Ai adjusted her hat and followed Emi outside to the digging site. "This is going to be a fun field trip," Emi said happily.  
  
"I guess so," Ai replied, feeling that this trip would be anything but fun. "But you never find anything except rocks on these archaeology field trips. We're just kids and can't do anything right." She glared at her digging shovel like it too was sure this trip would be fun.  
  
In the river where her eighth grade Osaka class was digging for "artifacts," Ai spotted something gold glinting between the rocks. Curiously, she bent down and began to dig for it. Finally she felt a smooth handle brush her hand.  
  
"Emi, I think I've found something," she called, waving Emi over. Together they pulled the golden object out of the river. It was a mirror, a golden mirror.  
  
"Shitari!" Emi cried. "I think we've really got something!"  
  
Ai hid the mirror from the man waiting to take all the fossils the class had found. She took it home and stared at it, amazed by its unique appearance. Suddenly the glass began to fog up and her reflection disappeared.  
  
"What da heck?" Ai gasped.  
  
//"What da heck"? What does that mean?// said a voice.  
  
Ai screamed. "Who's there?"  
  
//Your worst nightmare.//  
  
*AI REPLAY MODE END*  
  
"That was the only time I saw my reflection in this Mirror," Ai said. "Usually it shows an approaching enemy or something."  
  
Ryoku looked confused. "But remember when we first met Takehiko and Dajan?" he asked. "They showed up in your mirror, but they weren't enemies."  
  
Yugi made a face. "I think... all Millennium Item holders are natural enemies of each other," he said slowly. "So the Mirror reacted to the Items."  
  
Anzu looked anxious. "But... that doesn't mean we have to be enemies, does it?"  
  
Everyone smiled at each other in a way that clearly meant, no, they don't have to be enemies.  
  
Ro stood up. "Well, I'm a logical guy, and all this talk about magic is making my head spin," he said. "Besides, I've got to get back to work. Come on, Makimura, Ai."  
  
They proceeded to walk out the door. "Thanks for having us, Bakura," Ai said, blushing slightly.  
  
"Yeah, thanks," Makimura added. Ro nodded.  
  
"No problem," Bakura smiled.  
  
Dajan and Takehiko exchanged a glance. "We'd better get going too," Takehiko said.   
"It's almost dinner time."  
  
One by one, everyone decide it was time to leave. Not really wanting to be left alone with just his thoughts after that strange visit, Bakura decided to walk home with Yugi.  
  
Outside, the whole group (except Ai, Ro, and Makimura who had had a head start) chatted about other things, like school, classes, and family. Yugi laughed as Naoko told about the trick her little sister Natsuko had played on her older sister, Nobuko. It felt great to be part of an ALMOST normal group.  
  
Anzu looked up at the sky. "It sure is red tonight," she said.  
  
"What's red?" asked Jonouchi.  
  
"The sky!" Anzu exclaimed. "A really bloody red color."  
  
"Don't be so dramatic," Naoko laughed, but she was really feeling nervous...  
  
Something was about to happen.  
  
Naoko shook off the feeling and went back to her story until they at last reached the Tôru girl's dorm.  
  
"Well, bye, everyone," Hikaru said as she and Naoko prepared to go inside.  
  
"Yeah, bye," Takehiko said as the others began to walk away.  
  
Suddenly Yugi gasped. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He looked up, and saw the red clouds swirling in a spiral shape. He gulped.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
  
Angel: Omigosh, I think that was the longest chapter I ever wrote! FOURTEEN PAGES! I am now at 32 pages worth of YGO fanfic. It usually takes me longer to write this much! YAY!!! Oh, and before you ask, I DO have a plan for those weird birds in Bakura's dreams. Mwahahaha!!! But it'll be dangerous. I'm having trouble fitting everything that needs to be said into my story. All the more reason to finish book 2's outline. ::Sighs:: I'm making a doujinshi! (fanfic manga.) And it's gonna be on a yugioh shrine soon (hopefully). It's already seven pages long (one front page, one section page, five manga pages). I think it's cool.  
  
Yami: It is NOT cool! I have to let Yami Bakura give me a PIGGY-BACK RIDE!  
  
Kerihk: Well, it wasn't MY idea!  
  
Angel: Shut up, you two. Now, where's Malik?  
  
Malik: ::whistles and tries to be inconspicuous::  
  
Angel: There you are! Are you ready?  
  
Malik: Why can't I do the translations LATER? I don't come in the story till book 2!  
  
Angel (pouting): But I wan't you here NOW!  
  
From the Desk of Malik Ishtar:  
  
Nani - what  
chau-chan - an Osaka phrase meaning "no-no"  
mata aimashou - see you later  
baka - idiot, fool  
gomen - sorry  
genki - happy  
Anaiyu, Oleu, and Niku - I made 'em up!  
sennen - millennium  
Izumi Shikibu - was a real Japanese poet!  
eetou - a word said while thinking  
domo arigatou - thanks a lot  
-tachi - and company  
kochira e douzo - this way, please  
tadaima - I'm home, said when entering the house  
Yomiyuri Shinbaum - Japanese newspaper  
Kaasan - mother  
gomen nasai - I'm very sorry  
Tousan - father  
chotto mattekudasai - please, wait a little  
kaya tree - nutmeg tree  
nanto - whatever  
Ueno Zoo - zoo in Tokyo  
shitari - good heavens!  
  
CHARACTER OF THE DAY:  
  
Today's Character of the Day is Hikaru Daichi, age 15. As the spirit inside of Hikaru's Millennium Pendant is the Egyptian princess Kiara, Yami's younger and only full sister, she is nearly the same size as Yugi and looks much like him (even going as far as to wear the same tight black outfit, only feminine-styled!). Hikaru is loving and very naive (you could even go as far as to call her "airheaded") and has an easier time making friends than Yugi. Her parents died when she was a baby and she was sent to an orphanage until she was seven, when Takashi Katsura adopted her because she reminded him of his deceased wife, Hana. Other than a father, Hikaru also acquired an four-year-older, over-protective brother, Keikeru Katsura. At a summer camp for girls when she was eleven years old, Hikaru met Naoko Takaya, who joined her on her adventures in Duelist Kingdom and was more in tune with the magical realm than most normal humans. It was soon discovered that Hikaru's mother, Chiaki, and Naoko's mother, Tamayo, had been best friends in their high school years. When Chiaki had died, Tamayo had offered to adopt Hikaru, but her husband, Yamazaki, was against it because they already had two daughters (Nobuko and Naoko; the third, Natsuko, was born later). When Tamayo met Hikaru, she fell completely in love because Hikaru looked so much like Chiaki. She gave her the Millennium Pendant, which she had been holding on to since Chiaki's funeral. She told Hikaru that Chiaki had worn it at her wedding, and now it was to be passed on to Hikaru. Keikeru recognized the symbol of the Egyptian goddess of love and laughter, Hathor, emblazoned on the back of the Pendant. Keikeru himself had the power to see into the spirit realm, so he knew something was up. Eventually, Pegasus captured Keikeru just as he had done with Yugi's grandfather, forcing Hikaru to go to Duelist Kingdom even though it was against her will. Three of Hikaru's friends, Naoko Takaya, Ryoku Saito, and her best friend Tetsuya Gotoh, joined Hikaru on her journey. They also met up with three other Millennium Item holders, Ai Itsuko, Dajan Hada, and Takehiko Midori. Although Hikaru-tachi missed the final tournaments because they got trapped in an underground cave, they eventually dueled Pegasus anyway and though they didn't defeat him they were able to get Keikeru back, along with Seto Kaiba's young friend Kokoroe Fujishima's little sister, Makimura, whose role had been much like Mokuba Kaiba's.  
  
Hikaru is sometimes a scardy-cat and a cry-baby because her kind heart hates violence ever so much and she hates seeing people shed tears of pain even more. But she can always be counted on to come to the rescue when her friends are in need. She is very gifted in math and phys. ed., and she loves to sing and act. Still, she can't play a note on any instrument and dancing isn't her strong point. Hikaru's spirit, Kiara the princess of Egypt, is a mysterious and complex character who hides her emotions but seems to care deeply for Hikaru and her brother, Yami. The most noticeable thing about Kiara's personality is she appears to have regrets from her past life. Whether or not this is true shall be revealed later in the story.  
  
Next time: Chapter Five, Oikoshi no Kurayami (as told by Kaiba): When Yugi's gang came to me asking for help, their excuse was some of their friends had been captured by Pegasus! At first I thought it was a little fishy, till Misaki jumped in and said otherwise. I decided to loan them a ship to Duelist Kingdom on one condition - I get to go too. I mean, it's not like I wouldn't mind getting to kick Pegasus's sorry butt too! But there is no way Mokuba's coming. No way. No matter how much he begs... or gives puppy-dog eyes... or cries... OKAY, OKAY! He can come. Um, why is it so dark, and why are there two Yugis? Not to mention two Bakuras, too Hikarus, two Misakis... I think we might need double the amount of provisions. 


	5. Oikoshi no Kurayami

Angel: Hi, all! I'm listening to Tarzan music by Phil Collins! "SOMEWHERE SOMETHING'S CALLING FOR YOU!!! LA LA!!! TWO WORLDS, ONE FAMILY!!! LA LA!!!" *ahem* I'm done.  
Chapter update: Well, I'm taking care of my friend's fish, rabbits, and cat for a week, then I'm going to a sleepaway camp so I can't update. And I just got back from babysitting the girls next door (there's three of them, a nine-year-old, a six-year-old, and a one-year-old). That's all.  
My rants: WHEN WILL KIDS WB DECIDE TO GIVE US A NEW YGO EPISODE?! Nickelodean is too far ahead of us. I wanna see what happens! I have discovered that there are *so far* 104 Yu-Gi-Oh episodes, so two in a half years from now we should run out of episodes (unless they once again stop doing new episodes during summer. Then it would be longer).   
OK, I told everyone that Yugi's my fav character, but they're probably wondering why Bakura's part is so huge. Well ::giggles:: me luvs Yugi, but me luvs Bakura just the same! I don't know WHO I like better, so their parts are pretty much even. Although I know I hate Kaiba, but for some reason he's got a big, non-bash part in this story. Oh well. I'll console myself with Kit's Kaiba-bashing stories.  
THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT REVIEWS!!! *sniffle* I feel so loved. Um, I'm editing this chapter so it's easier to read (I HATE how ff.net deletes most indents.) :-(  
How about that new show, Mucha Lucha or whatever? Pretty dumb, huh? ::ducks from flying tomatoes being thrown by Mucha Lucha fans:: I'm sorry, but I just don't get how wrestling five-year-olds is interesting. Kim Possible: the girl with only one lip. Sponge-Bob-Square-Pants: why does everone like this show so much? And how come he doesn't ALWAYS fill up with with water down in the ocean? That's what sponges DO! Dragon Ball Z: I am taking a risk here since there appear to be a million DBZ fans, but what is so fascinating about men with crazier hair than Yugi's screaming and turning into giant monkeys? I mean, killer biceps, maybe, but still! They look like balloons! Sometimes I wish I could just pop 'em with a needle. And all those funky NAMES! If you think Honda is a stupid name, then think about the name TRUNKS! I mean, honestly!  
But 'nuff said. No more DBZ bashing for me. Maybe I'm sugar-high or something. Sorry if Kerihk seems a little OOC (I'm not 100% sure what that means but I think it stands for Out Of Character). Anyhow, some of this was written at 6:30 in the morning so it's probably a little funky. (Me likes that word, "funky!" White Rider/Truth Holder's favorite word is "snarfle-blaster." It's sorta like how the Scooby-Doo Nerds have their favorite phrases - Daphne and "Jeepers," Velma and "Jinkies," and Shaggy and "Zoinks.")  
Disclaimer: You know the drill. NO SHONEN OR SHOUJO AI!!! If it seems like it, it's not. Also, this chapter contains part of Steven Curtis Chapman's song, "When Love Takes You In." That part is in double parentheses (( )).  
  
/ - Any Hikari talking to his or her Yami in his or her mind  
  
// - Any Yami talking to his or her Hikari in his or her mind  
  
Hikari No Yuugi  
Play of Light  
  
by Angel  
  
Chapter Five: Oikoshi no Kurayami  
Passing Darkness  
  
**********************************************************************************************************  
Anzu looked up at the sky. "It sure is red tonight," she said.  
  
"What's red?" asked Jonouchi.  
  
"The sky!" Anzu exclaimed. "A really bloody red color."  
  
"Don't be so dramatic," Naoko laughed, but she was really feeling nervous...  
  
Something was about to happen.  
  
Naoko shook off the feeling and went back to her story until they at last reached the Tôru girl's dorm.  
  
"Well, bye, everyone," Hikaru said as she and Naoko prepared to go inside.  
  
"Yeah, bye," Takehiko said as the others began to walk away.  
  
Suddenly Yugi gasped. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He looked up, and saw the red clouds swirling in a spiral shape. He gulped.  
  
"What's going on?"  
**********************************************************************************************************  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
The others looked at Yugi. His violet eyes were wide with fear, giving the others an uneasy feeling. An eerie wind blew by, bending the branches of nearby trees. The red sun cast shadows on the ground.  
  
Anzu shivered. A chill went up her spine. "I don't like this," she thought, heart beating rapidly. "I don't like this at all..."  
  
Anzu stopped thinking, moving, even breathing as a cold black hand shot out of nowhere and covered her mouth. In shock, she didn't even resist as the hand pulled her back and into engulfing darkness...  
  
The shadow's next victim was Naoko. She gave a small yelp when the dark hole now floating behind the clueless group grabbed her shoulder and took her away. Honda and Ryoku went without much of a fight too. The shadow was scaring everyone. Hikaru and Yugi seemed frozen in time. Dajan and Takehiko were clutching each others hands, trembling slightly. Bakura felt sick. Tetsuya took a step backwards.  
  
"WHA?! HELP!" he cried, breaking the deathly silence. Everyone screamed and turned to him. Hikaru screamed again at what she saw.  
  
A black vine-like hand had encircled Tetsuya's entire body and was trying to pull the struggling boy into the dark hole!  
  
"Tetsuya!" Hikaru screamed. She took in a sharp breath as she realized... "Guys, Naoko, Ryoku, Anzu, and Honda have disappeared!"  
  
"W-what?" Yugi cried. He shook himself. "Grab Tetsuya!"  
  
Jonouchi and Takehiko each took one of Tetsuya's hands. Tetsuya was struggling to breath.   
  
"Guys -" Bakura said breathlessly. Everything was going dim... "Guys, I-I think I'm going to pass out..."  
  
Dajan was the only who heard him. He put a hand on both of Bakura's shoulders. "It's okay," he whispered. "I'm here for you. You can go to sleep... we all want to right about now."  
  
"Go to sleep... forever?"  
  
"No, just for a little while."  
  
Bakura grimaced. His skin was all clammy and cold. He was vaguely aware of Hikaru on her knees and Jonouchi and Takehiko working to save Tetsuya from the shadow.  
  
Suddenly Jonouchi let go of Tetsuya's hand. It looked as if something was holding him back. Then he realized in shock that the shadow had gotten him too!  
  
"JONOUCHI!" shrieked Yugi.  
  
"Don't worry about me!" Jonouchi begged before getting sucked into the shadow. In his surprise, Takehiko's grip on Tetsuya's hand loosened, and Tetsuya also vanished.  
  
"JONOUCHI! HONDA! RYOKU! TETSUYA! ANZU! NAOKO!"  
  
The whole group began to shout the fallen team members names. Bakura could hardly stand up, let alone yell.  
  
"N-no..." was all he could manage.  
  
His vision was foggy, but he knew he had to fight it. He knew if he gave in, he'd slip back into the dream, and he would - he would - he couldn't let it win - couldn't - mustn't -  
  
Dajan felt Bakura's body suddenly go limp in his arms, and knew the boy had finally fainted.  
  
~*The waves roared. The land cracked. It was coming. It was coming.*~  
  
The pit of darkness swirled as the kids yelled for their friends. Hikaru's eyes filled with tears and she shrieked her companions' names.  
  
~*~Anaiyu, Oleu, Niku... your dreams will hold the key~*~  
  
"We have to do something!" Takehiko shouted.  
  
"What CAN we do? If we touch it we'll get sucked in too!" Dajan hollered back. The wind was blowing harder now, whipping their hair out of their faces.  
  
~*~Dark, Shadow, Light... your dreams will not leave you be...~*~  
  
"NAOKO!"  
  
"TETSUYA!"  
  
"HONDA!"  
  
~*~... Unless you ...~*~  
  
"ANZU!"  
  
"RYOKU!"  
  
~*~... Listen and the Dark will guide you... Believe and the Light will find you... Fear and the Shadow will destroy you...~*~  
  
"JONOUCHI!"  
  
"Wait, what's happening to you, Yugi?"  
  
"What's happening to ME? What's happening to YOU?!"  
  
"Huh - ahh!"  
  
~*\The Sacrifice must be given... give up the light, the inner-knowledge, and the Pure Heart and we will spare your friends./*~  
  
"Wha - how - how -"  
  
"Where am I? How did I get... here?"  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"Um..."  
  
~*\The Sacrifice of Light has the pure heart. He is the only one. The Game King of Light must fulfill his destiny... or the world will fall into despair./*~  
  
"Are you... me?"  
  
***  
  
Something cool and wet was pressed against Bakura's forehead. He heard voices around him, but they sounded slurred and indefinite. Only one phrase was floating through his mind... "The Game King of Light must fulfill his destiny... or the world will fall into despair."  
  
"N-no..." he pleaded softly. He tried to wake up, but his eyes wouldn't open.  
  
Someone was bending over him. He could feel its breath on his face... he could feel its putrid breath... In desperation he punched its nose.  
  
"OW! You little baka!"  
  
Bakura's eyes snapped open in surprise. "OW!" he cried when he sat up too quickly and hit heads with someone else. But his wasn't the only "ow."  
  
Standing above him, wincing from the pain of both a punch in the nose and a bonk on the head, was Kerihk.  
  
"AAAIIIEEE!!!" Bakura shrieked, a wet cloth falling off his forehead. He was not in his soul room! How could they BOTH be out at the same time?  
  
"SHUT UP!" Kerihk shouted even louder, slapping Bakura across the face.  
  
Bakura stopped screaming from the shock of having his yami out of the Millennium Ring, just waking up from a horrific dream, getting slapped, and discovering he was in Yugi's house, sitting on the couch in the den. He looked up at Kerihk when he finally caught his breath. "W-what are YOU doing here?"  
  
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Kerihk hissed, mean as ever. He patted his nose. "Itai," he mumbled. He looked at Bakura. "The slap was for punching me. Maybe I should give you another one to thank you for hitting my head too."  
  
"It was an accident!" Bakura quickly defended, jumping to his feet. "Don't, please!"  
  
"Begging for mercy? You're pathetic!"  
  
Bakura said nothing for a minute. Then he quietly changed the subject. "This is Yugi's house. How did we get here?"  
  
Kerihk sighed and cocked his head, thinking for a moment. Bakura was being cute. All right, he'd play along this time.  
  
"After you passed out, all of us yamis were ripped from your bodies - separated, I mean, and it wasn't a nice feeling. It took some sorting out because that Hikaru nearly fainted too, but we've decided it's a trick by Pegasus to lure us to him." Kerihk made the "baka" hand-signal. "The other little fools have decided to take the bait."  
  
Bakura looked insulted when he noticed the "baka" sign Kerihk was making. "What do you mean, 'take the bait'?"  
  
"I mean they want to go to Duelist Kingdom to get their foolish mortal friends back, even if it means walking right into a trap."  
  
At that moment both Yugi and Yami ran into the den, Yugi looking worried, Yami angry. Bakura jumped at the sight of both of them at the same time, and shook his head. The shaking only made him feel dizzy, and he sat back down on the couch, leaning against a pillow.  
  
"Bakura, is everything okay? We heard you scream upstairs. Are you all right?" Yugi asked anxiously.  
  
"I'm fine," Bakura said. "Just really confused."  
  
"Then why did you scream?" Yami inquired, looking suspiciously at Kerihk.  
  
"I woke up and saw Kerihk standing over me. I was just surprised."  
  
Yami glared at Kerihk. "I thought I told you not to bother him." Kerihk stuck out his tongue. Yami added, "But I'm not surprised he got scared. Any normal person would faint at the sight of a wraith like you."  
  
"How dare you!" Kerihk mocked in the same tone. "How could anyone faint when they see THIS pretty face? Besides, I wouldn't be talking if I were you, per aa. You may have once been a pharaoh but this is the 21st century and those rules don't apply anymore."  
  
'This is gonna turn ugly,' Yugi thought when he noticed Yami and Kerihk looking daggers at each other.   
  
Luckily, Kerihk and Yami were saved from each other's wrath because the rest of the team members came dashing into the den, along with Yugi's grandpa.  
  
Bakura was amazed at what he saw. If he hadn't already known that the yamis had been separated from their hikaris, he would have thought he was seeing double. Behind Takehiko stood a boy with a hair-cut much like Takehiko's and wearing nearly the same outfit (Takehiko wore an orange shirt and brown shorts; this boy's was more fashionable ^-^). He was definitely Takehiko's yami.   
  
Dajan's yami's blue hair was slightly longer than Dajan's, and he, of course, wore blue and white, as Dajan hadn't yet changed out of his school uniform.   
  
Ai had returned wearing he work fuku, and it appeared that her yami had also been forced out of her body. Ai's yami's brown hair was longer than Ai's and only a little darker than her Northern African skin, and she wore a shorter brown skirt than Ai's, a longer brown coat, and the blue bowtie was larger and seemed to be used to keep the coat in place.   
  
Hikaru had obviously changed out of her uniform like Takehiko had (everyone else was still in their school uniform except for Ai, but she was still in a uniform, though it was her work one, not school), as she was wearing a white shirt, pink jacket, pink shorts, and black buckle shoes. There was also a light pink barrette in her hair, and Bakura noticed for the first time that her bangs were wavy and slightly lightning-boltish like Yugi's.   
  
Hikaru's yami wore a much longer pink jacket (like Honda's, only pink), a black belly-button shirt, black short-shorts, and tall black boots (like CardCaptor Sakura's outfit when she fought Twin, or, if you're going by the manga, when she captured Shield). But there was one big difference between Hikaru and her yami, other than her yami's eyes were larger and not as round: Hikaru's yami appeared to have short hair like Hikaru, except in the bad there was a long, thin braid reaching down her back (think Hikaru from Magic Knight Rayearth with brown hair). Of course, the yamis and hikaris alike wore their Millennium Items.  
  
(A/N: If you're wondering how it's possible that there are now two of each, think of it this way: the hikaris have the light half, and the yamis have the dark half. If one gets taken by the enemy, the other is useless. In other words, Pegasus only has to get one of each to gain world dominion.)  
  
"He's awake," Takehiko said, looking from Bakura to his friends.  
  
The others sighed in relief. "Bakura, do you feel okay?" asked Grandpa Muto. "Do you feel sick at all?"  
  
"N-no, I'm fine," Bakura replied, realizing they had been worried about him. "I'm not sick."  
  
"Are you sure? You're not lying to get us off your case, are you?" Ai demanded. Bakura sweatdropped.  
  
"Ai couldn't settle down until you woke up, Ryou," Hikaru giggled. "She looked like she had ants in her pants."  
  
"Y-you couldn't either, Hikaru!" Ai exclaimed, blushing. "You were really worried, just like me!"  
  
Hikaru giggled.  
  
Bakura smiled. "Thanks, guys."  
  
Hikaru's yami, Kiara, walked over to Yami and Kerihk who were still emitting sparks. "Maa, maa," she chided. "Don't let's fight among ourselves. We need to work together." She put a hand on Yami's shoulder and looked hopefully into his eyes.  
  
It occurred to Yugi that Kiara was living proof that Yami had loved in his past life - well,   
as alive as she could be. Yami turned soft with her the way he did with Yugi, and the fire left his eyes. He gave up arguing with Kerihk for the time being.  
  
Kerihk, too, dropped his clenched fists to his side and looked away. He didn't really want to fight with Yami, but he wasn't about to tell him that. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even himself, but he was a little jealous of his hikari, Bakura. If he had collapsed, no one would have been worried, and Kerihk had concluded that there was no one to blame but himself.  
  
((I know you've heard the stories  
But they all sound too good to be true  
You've heard about a place called home  
But there doesn't seem to be one for you...))  
  
"So how long have I been asleep for? What did I miss?" asked Bakura, trying to look normal so no one would worry about him anymore.  
  
"Nothing much," Yugi answered as his grandfather left to start dinner. "Except that all the spirits were separated from us. But I guess you've already figured that much out." Yugi pointed to each of the yamis. "Takehiko's spirit's name is Ahmose, Dajan's name is Ay, Ai's is Setsuna, and Hikaru's is Kiara. Oh, and you were asleep all night. It is now... eight thirty a.m. Wednesday."  
  
"Guess we're not going to school today."  
  
"Nope."  
  
Bakura shook his head, once again forgetting that it would give him a headache. Then a thought struck him. "Yugi, what happened to Jonouchi and the others?"  
  
Yugi's lower lip trembled and he looked away.  
  
"That bad, huh?"  
  
"Jonouchi, Anzu, Honda and the other three were kidnapped by Pegasus," Yami said, folding his arms.  
  
"I already told him that," Kerihk spat.  
  
"Well, I'm telling him again. Pegasus must have used his Millennium Eye to send that dark hole out to get them. He's trying to convince us come to him."  
  
"And he's doing a good job of it too," Kiara said under her breath, fiddling with her braid.  
  
There was a moment of silence for a moment. Then, Ai said, "Duelist Kingdom. I'll bet that's where they're being kept."  
  
"Then that's where we need to go. Um, after breakfast, of course."  
"But how can we get there? There aren't any cruises scheduled for late, are there?"  
Everyone thought for a moment. Dajan looked up and suggested,  
"Well, what about taking the train to the harbor and renting a boat?"  
"Nah, even with all our money combined we couldn't afford a ship big enough for all of   
us, considering there's now double our amount."  
"We could just leave Kerihk here -"  
"YAMI!"  
"Or not."  
  
They spent the next ten minutes thinking of ways to get to Duelist Kingdom. Every suggestion had something wrong with it. Yugi had been quiet since Ai had concluded that the hostages were being held in Duelist Kingdom; now he made his daring announcement.  
  
"I know what we have to do..." he said slowly. Every shut their mouths and looked at him. "I know... We need to buy train tickets to Atami... and then..."  
  
Yami made a face as he mentally realized what Yugi was thinking. It was his LAST resort, but Yugi's first. Unfortunately for Yami, it just might work.  
  
"We need to ask Seto Kaiba for help."  
  
***  
  
Yami sighed as he leaned against the wall of the train station. Visiting Seto Kaiba was second-to-last on his priority list, before "help Pegasus rule the world" but after "let Yugi sleep in." No one else had been too thrilled about going to Kaiba's either, but it seemed to be the only reasonable option. Yami just hoped he and Kaiba could get along long enough for the arrangements to be made; still, Yami had a feeling Kaiba wasn't going to help just anyone without a good reason.  
  
Yami looked toward the booth where Yugi was buying the tickets. Together the hikaris had scraped up enough money for twelve tickets to Atami. The clerk at the ticket booth looked very surprised when Yugi asked for that many tickets.  
  
"Konshin wa Atami ni tomarimasu ka?" asked Yugi.  
"Hai, tomarimasu ga."  
"Atami made ikura desu ka?"  
"¥1000." (a/n: I am guessing there, I doubt tickets cost that much. Actually, they may   
cost more!)  
"Atami made no kippu o ju-ni-mai kudasai."  
"::stupified expression:: Nani?? Ju-ni-mai??"  
"Hai, ju-ni-mai. Atami made kippu o ju-ni-mai. Okei?"  
"Ano... hai."  
"Eh, kono tsugi no Konshin wa nanbansen desu ka?"  
"San-bansen desu."  
"Arigatou."  
  
(A/N: ::smiles warmly:: I just love showing off my ever-improving Japanese!)  
  
Yami smiled warmly as Yugi dealt with the bewildered clerk. His little hikari had hardly changed a bit since he had first finished the Millennium Puzzle; yet, Yami could sense some change in the boy. He was braver and more confident in himself. See how easily he had made friends with these new Millennium Item bearers!   
  
Speaking of the Millennium Item bearers, where was that creep Kerihk? If he was getting into trouble - like he usually was - he'd have Yami to answer to. Now that he was officially separated from the puzzle, he had a lot more room to move around and exercise when he was angry. And anyone daring to go against the rules of the Millennium Seal (namely Kerihk) were to be his victims.  
  
Still, even through all he'd been through fighting Kerihk and his yearning for all thirteen Millennium Items, Yami had something of a soft spot for him. Why, he didn't know.  
  
But it was there, no matter how hard he tried to deny it.  
  
As for Seto Kaiba... well, he'd better pray Yami would be in a giving mood.  
  
Wandering over to the table where the others (Hikaru, Kiara, Bakura, Kerihk, Dajan, Ay, Takehiko, Ahmose, Ai, and Setsuna) were gathered, Yami's thoughts couldn't help but be directed toward the six members of their crew who should be sitting there with them - Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu, Naoko, Tetsuya, and Ryoku. Why had Pegasus captured them? What was to be gained?  
  
'All this for the Millennium Items,' Yami thought bitterly.  
  
Yami had been a great pharaoh, but although few people knew it, Yami had many regrets from his past life; from the look of it, so did the rest of the yamis. All the yamis' eyes seemed sad and mysterious, the shadow of sorrow and death hanging around them. Sometimes Yami reflected back on the times when they were really friends - a team. When he saw the way Yugi and his friends got along, he couldn't help but miss the fun times he'd had with the others back in Egypt.  
  
Those were happier times. And it was all Zhur's fault that it ended so soon.  
  
Zhur. The grand vizier of Egypt in Yami's time. He had tried to manipulate Yami according to his will, but he hadn't realized that the only one who could persuade Yami's will was Kiara, and she wasn't persuaded by anyone but Yami. Yami managed to seize control of his country before Zhur took over. Eventually the ever-lasting war of the Shadow Games between Zhur's Shadow Gamers and Yami's Shadow Gamers led to their 5000 year-long captivity in the Millennium Items. Zhur was in the Millennium Eye.  
  
Zhur's ten Gamers were sealed away in ten black stones, but Pegasus had uncovered them. Things were already worse than Yami had thought. If he unleashed his Shadow Gamers, there was no way his team could stand up to them. All the other Millennium Item bearers (minus himself, Kiara, and Zhur) were Yami's Shadow Gamers. He was called the Priest. Kiara was the Priestess. The Gamers protected them. Zhur's Priestess, Suzuka, was nothing short of "a witch" but she had been defeated by Kiara in battle many years ago.  
  
Unfortunately, the battle had left Kiara severely wounded, and that was how she met her demise.  
  
Yami knew Zhur had one advantage - much as he hated to admit it, Zhur's Gamers were much better at acting like a team than Yami's counterparts. That was because Zhur's Gamers didn't have emotions of their own - they were just minions from the Shadow Realm Zhur had summoned. This gave him an edge over Yami because Yami's Gamers had to learn to work together, and for a while, everything had gone smoothly.  
  
Then Death entered the picture and the Gamers of Light had begun to fall.  
  
First something happened Yami couldn't remember, but it caused Kerihk to fall away and drown in despair. He had turned to thievery and eventually - somehow - met his death. Then Setsuna began to believe they could never win. She didn't try hard enough, and was the first of the Gamers of Light to die. Sahure, another member of the old gang (a/n: for a sneak preview, read Kit's "Power-Puff Yamis" fanfic!), betrayed them. Then Yami was separated from his friends and Kiara was killed. Ahmose also was killed in line of duty. Two other female members, Osona and Taidu, priestesses of Isis and Nepthys, had sacrificed themselves to protect the remaining five members of the team. And finally, Yami had sealed the Shadow Games away, only to meet his own end. The remaining members were a girl named Himoko, Ay, and an oracle with a split-personality (which was considered to be two people) called Shaadi. They were the ones who made the agreement with the Fates to become trapped in the Millennium Items.   
  
But Yami was off topic now. Hadn't he told Yugi he didn't want to recall the bad memories? 'I'm acting like an old man, reminiscing on the past,' he thought. 'Well, I am 5,017 years old. I guess I am pretty ancient...' Still, according to Egyptian standards, he had only lived a bit more than a half-life (most ancient Egyptian men died by the age of 30, and his life ended at the age of 17).  
  
"Yami? Anybody in there? Earth to Yami!"  
  
Yami started and saw Yugi waving train tickets in his face. "Are you okay, Yami? You were spacing out," his aibyou said.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine, hikari," Yami replied with something of a smile. "I was just thinking." He sincerely hoped none of his thoughts had leaked from his mind and through the mental link connecting his and Yugi's thoughts. The last thing he needed was a million concerned inquiries from his innocent light side. He couldn't imagine telling Yugi all the dark things he knew of... Yami himself shuddered when he recalled certain instances.  
  
"I got the tickets," Yugi said cheerfully, oblivious to Yami's sad thoughts. "The train leaves in twenty minutes. It's on track three. We're riding the Konshin."  
  
Takehiko stuck out his tongue as he and the others joined Yugi and Yami. "Darnit. I wanted to ride the Shinkansen."  
  
"We couldn't afford it."  
"We couldn't even afford the Hikari?"  
"Iie."  
"What if we didn't buy reserved tickets?"  
"Takehiko - !"  
"I'm joking, I'm joking."  
  
Hikaru turned to Kiara. "If anyone asks, you're my big sister. OK?"  
"OK."  
The other yamis and hikaris adopted this measure of security as well.  
  
Twenty minutes later, the hikaris and their yamis were all aboard the subway train, the Konshin, and ready to go to Atami, where Seto Kaiba was. Their compartment was almost empty except for themselves and a strange woman in a long gray coat with a gray hat and sunglasses concealing her hair and eyes.  
  
"I cannot believe I'm actually going to ask 'Moneybags' as Jonouchi would say for help," Yami growled.  
  
"If Jonouchi were here to say that, we wouldn't be going to Kaiba's in the first place," Yugi responded quietly. "Kaiba may be a creep, but I think he'll help us. He hates Pegasus as much as we do."  
  
"Yeah, well, I hate him hardly any less than I do Pegasus."  
  
"Yaa, Yami, aibyou. You're all talk."  
  
"I'm serious. I'd love to shut Kaiba and Kerihk in a room together. They could finish each other off..."  
  
"Yami!"  
  
"What? It would save us the trouble."  
  
Yugi looked over to the seat were Bakura was sitting, Kerihk by his side. "In case you hadn't noticed, Kerihk hasn't done anything worse than yell and make smart comments since this whole thing started. I think he's a little shaken by all this."  
  
Yami was silent. His hikari was right. To everyone's surprise, after the conversation about going to Kaiba's, all Kerihk had done was spit out all his wisecrack. And as soon as they entered the station, he hadn't said a word, and he continued not to speak even now.  
  
'Good riddance,' Yami thought. 'It's doing us ever so much good.' But Kerihk's silence was unnerving him. One thing he remembered from his past life was the quote his sister had come up with: "Beware the silence of a white-haired man; it may be a sign that darkness is at hand." Throughout their journey in their past life, this "quote" had proved true - with Kerihk and Zhur alike.  
  
(A/N: Now I'm listening to Steven Curtis Chapman: Declaration. He's so cool!)  
  
Suddenly the train gave a jolt and all the yamis jumped up in surprise. Kerihk cursed in Egyptian, the first words he had said in a while. Kiara nearly fell over. Yami felt jumpy but tried to retain his dignity. Ay mumbled, "By the power of Ra..."   
  
Takehiko laughed when Ahmose shrieked, "WHAT the HECK was THAT?!"  
  
"It's just the train starting," he explained. "We'll be in Atami in half an hour. Sit down. It's perfectly safe."  
  
Ahmose made faces at the train like he didn't completely trust it.  
  
Maybe the train's feelings were hurt by the yamis doubt of its reliability, because it took long enough to get started, and the yamis could swear they had the bumpiest car. Ay was getting motion sickness. The others were holding on to the hanging things for dear life; even Kerihk was starting to look a little green.   
  
Setsuna, whose relationship with Ai wasn't too much better than Kerihk and Bakura's (except that she had never once laid a finger on Ai), kicked the seat of the train.   
  
"Setsuna, don't do that," Ai said. "It won't help."  
"Why is it going so darn fast?" Setsuna grumbled.  
"'Cause that's what trains do. They get you places faster than walking."  
"In Egypt everyone walked everywhere, except when it was too far and they rode camels - or if they were really rich, horse."  
  
Yami and Kiara blushed.  
  
Ai pursed her lips. "Going to Atami from Domino City is like going to Cairo from Giza. OK?"  
  
Setsuna made a hissing sound. "Al ti-ra veh al tif-chad... al ti-ra veh al tif-chad..." she muttered in Hebrew.  
  
Of all the yamis, Setsuna was the only one who wasn't Egyptian born. She was Hebrew but had grown up in Midian. Of course she remembered little of her time in the land or of her old faith. Something had led to her capture by Egyptian guards, however, and she had been brought to the palace as a gift to Prince Pentaware. One day she accidentally walked in on a Shadow Game between Yami and Kerihk, but, rather than have her executed, Yami had decided to teach her the magic as well. He explained that Kerihk, a servant in the palace, had also entered a private Shadow Game (though not by accident, he had just been curious) and Yami had convinced his father to infuse Kerihk with the Shadow Power of the Ring. After that Setsuna grew powerful in the Shadow Games, but somehow she had fallen in the end...  
  
Ai's hazel eyes drew away from Setsuna's goldenrod ones. Setsuna had never really been mean to her, but she had never been nice either. They called each other "aibyou" but neither really petted the other. But somehow, someday, Ai promised herself Setsuna would love her back. Because Ai had grown to love this other spirit abiding in her, and just wanted to be her friend.  
  
***  
  
The mysterious lady in the gray hat and sunglasses listened to the conversations going on between the six "families" which consisted of four pairs of "brothers" and two pairs of "sisters." She fingered a golden, eye-like broach pinned to her long jacket. Strands of auburn hair fell out of her hat when she pushed it up for a better luck.  
  
/This is eavesdropping./  
//Stop complaining. It's important business.//  
/Are you ever going to tell me what's so important about it?/  
//Please stop asking. You wouldn't understand. Not yet.//  
/Please stop saying that./  
  
The girl sighed and moved to a more comfortable position. This train ride was the last thing she wanted to be doing. She could be researching information for her research report. Or hanging out with her long-time friend, Keikeru Katsura. She wasn't really a person for adventure, but she hated waiting in the shadows.  
  
And gray was her least favorite color.  
  
***  
  
"Next stop. Atami. Please wait for the doors to completely open to leave. Next stop. Atami."  
  
Hikaru clapped her hands. "Yes! We're there!"  
  
"I'll go get Ay out of the bathroom," Dajan said, pointing to the rest room where Ay was vomiting (but what was coming out no one knew - or wanted to know - since Ay hadn't eaten for 5000 years).  
  
The strange lady waited until the kids were off the train, then she followed them at a distance, keeping them insight but trying to blend in with the crowd. One person, however, had known she was following since the very beginning, and he had already decided to keep his mouth shut until he was sure of her priorities. Besides, he was pretty sure she knew he had noticed her, and an invisible link of understanding flickered between them.  
  
"TAXI! WE NEED TWO! TAXI!" Takehiko yelled at the top of his lungs. When they managed to get hold of two, there was a long debate on who should go in which cars. Dajan and Takehiko wanted to stay together, as did Ai and Hikaru, but Kiara wanted to stay with Yami, and Yami didn't want Kerihk out of his sight. Bakura and the other yamis didn't care one way or another. Finally it was decided that the yamis would go in one taxi, the hikaris in the others. After briefly explaining to Yami how to pay for the ride and where to tell the driver to take them, Yugi and the others were finally on their way to Seto Kaiba's estate.  
  
Then, after finally making it to Kaiba's, it took a long time to get inside, and then another ten minutes to meet the secretary!  
  
The secretary was a pretty young lady of about sixteen with very short raven-black hair, sparkling brown eyes and gold-framed glasses. Like Ai, she wore a brown uniform and skirt along with a blue bow tie. Looking up from her work, she smiled at Ai. "Back again, Itsuko-san?"  
  
"Yes," Ai replied. "I didn't get any mail, did I?"  
"Gomen nasai," the secretary replied. "No post today."  
  
Hikaru's mouth was hanging open. She blinked in surprise. "Misaki?" she exclaimed.  
"Misaki?!" Dajan and Takehiko shrieked together.  
  
Misaki looked just as surprised as the other three. "Hikaru? Dajan? Takehiko? What are you guys doing here? And where are your friends, Tetsuya, Naoko, and Ryoku?"  
  
"Um, that's what we need to talk to Kaiba about," Ai explained nervously, wringing her hands. "Something's happened and Naoko-chan and the guys have disappeared. It's Pegasus's doing," she added.  
  
Misaki drew in a breath. "That creep... What does he want now?"  
  
"He's after the Millennium Items again, Misaki," Hikaru said, looking down. She motioned to Yugi, Bakura, and the yamis. "These two also have Millennium Items, Ryou Bakura and Yugi Muto."  
  
"Yugi Muto?!" Misaki exclaimed. Yugi blushed. He knew what was coming. "THE Yugi Muto? The only Duelist to ever defeat Seto Kaiba?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, that's him," Bakura said, waving his hands. "Do you want an autograph?" (a/n: the first line Bakura's had for a while, and it just had to be sarcastic!)  
  
Misaki turned pink and apologized for overreacting. Yugi mouthed "thank you" to Bakura.  
  
"I'm Misaki Hikawa," Misaki said with a bow. She looked questioningly at the yamis. "You're.... twins?"  
  
Everyone laughed. Misaki looked more confused than before. It took some explaining, but fortunately Misaki knew a lot about the Millennium Items and understood what a yami was.  
  
"After all, I have one of my own," Misaki responded to Yugi, Yami, Bakura, and Kerihk's surprise. "I was wondering how we were separated from the Millennium Spoon -" she held up a golden spoon with the Millennium Seal (the Eye symbol) emblazoned above the drop, "- but your story makes sense. My yami's name is Himoko. I'll get her."  
  
"No need, I'm right here," a voice said.  
  
A lady of Misaki's height with the same brown eyes and long black hair tied in a low ponytail emerged from the bathroom. She was dressed similar to Setsuna and was undoubtedly Misaki's yami, Himoko. She looked at the group of kids and gave a serene smile.   
  
"Together again," she said.  
"Just the way it should be," Kiara said as a broad grin spread across her face.   
Himoko gasped, her eyes wide. "Kiara! You're here?"  
"Of course!"  
  
The two girls embraced, laughing like long last friends. Kiara, who was only half the size of Himoko, didn't realize that through her chuckles tears were dripping from Himoko's eyes. Just then her tears fell upon Kiara's neck, and her lavender eyes snapped open.  
  
"Himoko - you're crying," Kiara said, shocked.  
  
Himoko wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said, half-laughing, half-crying. "It's just - when you - just don't worry about it, Kiara. I'm just so glad that -" She couldn't finish her sentence and only hugged Kiara tighter.  
  
Kiara's lavender eyes shined. Her past was all mixed up, but somehow Himoko remembered something about Kiara that she couldn't.  
  
Himoko released Kiara and turned to the other yamis. "Yami, Kerihk, Ahmose, Ay, and Setsuna! It's so wonderful to see you all again!" There was an awkward moment of silence as Kerihk edged away from the group so he wouldn't get hugged. The others, not being as comfortable and naive as Kiara, shuffled around uneasily as they waited for someone to say something.  
  
Yugi broke the unnerving silence. "Hikawa-san," he began.  
"Call me Misaki," Misaki said.  
"Yes, erm, Misaki-san, we really need to talk to Seto Kaiba. He's the only one we know who we can talk to about getting to Duelist Kingdom."  
Misaki frowned. "You're going to ask him for money?"  
Yugi nodded.  
"Then you'll need my help. I can talk him into it."  
"Misaki's the only woman who can manipulate Kaiba-san," Ai whispered to Yugi, who began meowing.  
  
Misaki directed the group down a hallway. "Kochira e douzo," she said, smiling and leading the way. Himoko followed, and the others clambered after her.  
  
Soon they reached a door by a waiting room at the end of the corridor. Misaki rapped on the door, and the voice of Seto Kaiba (a/n: me hates him :-[ meanie Kaiba... grr...) called out, "Come in."  
  
"I'll go in first," Misaki said. "You guys wait in the other room."  
  
Yugi-tachi nodded and entered the waiting room as Misaki and Himoko entered Kaiba's Chamber of Torment.  
  
To the gang's surprise (with the exclusion of Ai), both Mokuba Kaiba and Makimura Fujishima were also in the waiting room, Mokuba lying upside down on the couch, Makimura right-side-up. They were attempting to play a Banjo-and-Kazooie (a/n: sp?) video game and eating cookies at the same time. When they noticed the visitors, they paused the game and jumped up in glee.  
  
"Ai! You're back!" Makimura observed happily.  
"We missed you! Are you going to stay this time?" Mokuba inquired.  
Ai laughed. "'Fraid not, kiddo. We're just here to talk to your brother and then we're off," she explained.  
Mokuba pouted. "That's not fair. Misaki's been too busy to baby-sit us too and the other guys are no fun. We want you to stay!"  
  
"Guess since Ro works here too, Makimura hangs out with Mokuba," Bakura said.  
"Ai once said she baby-sat Mokuba too," Dajan added.  
"And we all know she baby-sits Makimura," Takehiko grumbled.  
"Oh, stop," said Kerihk, Ay, and Ahmose.  
  
"So what are you guys doing?" Hikaru asked Mokuba and Makimura, coming over to Ai's side with Setsuna and Kiara.  
"We're playing video games," Mokuba said. "I was trying to see if I could beat Makimura upside-down but I couldn't do it."  
"Yeah, I initiated him," Makimura said, winking at Hikaru.  
"That's annihilated," Hikaru giggled, correcting Makimura. Annihilated was her favorite word to use in Duel Monsters, much like Yugi and his habit of crying "OBLITERATE!"  
  
While Ai and Hikaru and their yamis played with Mokuba and Makimura, the others wandered around the waiting room, obediently waiting for Kaiba to invite them in (a/n: yeah, that'll be the day). Yugi, Yami, and Bakura stared at pictures on the shelves like they were the most interesting things in the world.  
  
"Guys," Bakura said to the other two after a while, "how do we know that it was only Jonouchi and those guys who were captured? What about Miho and Mai and those guys?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Yugi asked. "They weren't with us when it happened."  
  
"Yes, but they were involved with our old Duelist Kingdom journey," Bakura responded anxiously. "What if anyone who could possibly pressure us to give our Millennium Items to Pegasus was taken?" He shifted his gaze, thinking of his good friend Malik Ishtar (a/n: who I won't say much more about cuz I'm still deciding if he's going to be a girl or a boy, it depends on the dubbed version. Eventually I'll begin calling him/her Marik, his/her dubbed name). Malik had a Millennium Item too, but could Pegasus could take it easily because Malik's yami was downright evil. Plus, Malik was a really good friend of Bakura's. Bakura would just HAVE to go to Duelist Kingdom if Malik had been captured.  
  
Yami scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "I think they're safe," he replied. "If that was the case then we would have heard about it. So many kids suddenly going missing is going to cause an uproar, that's for sure. There'll soon be an article about Jonouchi and the other's disappearances."  
  
"We're all just lucky spring vacation is just around the corner," Yugi said.  
  
"See, that's what I don't get," said Takehiko, wandering over with Dajan and their yamis. "Why start school in April if spring vacation is the week after it starts?" (a/n: THIS IS NOT A FACT! I'm improvising.)  
  
"Don't complain," Dajan replied, rolling his eyes. "If it helps us, it's okay then."  
"Yeah, but honestly! It does work out for us, but it still doesn't make any sense."  
"You know, in Australia, where I grew up, we would be happy to have so many vacations. The surfing is choice this time of the year," Bakura put in.  
Dajan looked wide-eyed. "You grew up in Australia? That's so cool!"  
Takehiko asked, "Why do they call it the Land Down Under? It's not really under anything."  
  
The yamis exchanged glances of annoyance.  
  
In a dark corner of the room, a silver-haired, auburn-eyed yami stood leaning against the wall, the shadows falling over his face. He listened to the absurd conversations his partners were having - he refused to call them his friends. His Hikari was talking rapidly about Australia with Blue Boy and Gel Hair and their yamis, Water Freak and Blondie. Spike-headed-kid and the Stupid Pharaoh had just joined the Little Princess and Madam Hebrew as they watched The Kid and The Girl fight over controllers. They all looked so happy and oblivious to the danger they were putting themselves in.  
  
((So every night you cry yourself to sleep  
And drift off to a distant dream...))  
  
Kerihk made sure no one was looking, and silently cut off his mental connection with his hikari before he could notice it. The last thing he needed was a ton of questions about the meeting he was about to go to when he returned. Everyone was occupied as he observed. Even the Stupid Pharaoh was too busy watching The Girl attempt to dance the baby polka to pay attention to him. With that confirmed to his satisfaction, Kerihk crept out of the room and down the hallway. He tried not to make any noise, and after so many years of living in the shadows of ancient Egypt, he succeeded. The fact that Hikari was wearing loafers that day helped too.  
  
He pushed past the revolving door of Kaiba Mansion and found himself back out in the city air. He wrinkled his nose at the foul smell. At least Egypt had been pretty much clean.  
  
A sudden movement to his right caught his attention. He caught sight of a dusty gray cloak flying in the wind. The lady wearing the cloak didn't show her face, but Kerihk was curious. Following at a safe distance, Kerihk watched the girl jump over a fence and enter the patio, making her way to the shrine. Kerihk clambered over the wire fence and landed in a flower bed. Grumbling, he dusted himself off and joined the girl by the shrine.  
  
((When love takes you in and everything changes  
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart  
When love takes you home and says you belong here  
The loneliness ends and a new life begins  
When love takes you in...))  
  
She was standing by the statue of Buddha in the shrine. As Kerihk cautiously stepped into the shrine, she removed her hood and sunglasses to reveal shiny red hair and dark brown eyes. Her unnaturally tanned complexion along with the mystical golden broach pinned to her cloak gave her an eerie appearance. She gestured for him to come closer. Kerihk stayed where he was, hesitant to join her.  
  
"Don't be afraid, Kerihk son of Hotep and Teti," she said softly. Her voice was deep but feminine, like a river, gentle and flowing, melodious.  
  
"I'm not afraid," Kerihk growled, putting on his usual scowl. "And how do you know who I am, or who my parents are? And why are you following us?"  
  
She gave a laugh like music. "So many questions! Why are you so eager to know the answers? What if you learn something about yourself you'd rather I be quiet about? Don't you believe in the pain of truth?"  
  
"What could you possibly know about me that I don't?" Kerihk spat. "What are you, an oracle or something?"  
  
"Oh, nothing like that," she answered. "I am just like you. My alter-ego - bless her - has allowed me to use my spell of invisibility on her so she won't be discovered by the guards. I had a feeling you knew I was here, and knew I have the Millennium Broach."  
  
The golden broach on her cloak shined in the afternoon sunlight. Kerihk stared at her.   
  
"What do you want?" he asked.  
"Your quest is known to me," she said. "I want to help. My name is Taidu."  
"Well, Taidu," Kerihk mocked, "we don't need your help. If it were up to me, we wouldn't be on this horrid mission at all.  
  
Taidu looked at him with an unblinking stare. "What about your hikari? They're his friends."  
  
"You think I care?"  
"You should. He cares about you."  
"Sure!"  
  
((And somewhere while you're sleeping  
Someone else is dreaming too  
Counting down the days until  
They hold you close and say I love you...))  
  
Taidu looked at him sadly. Everything had changed so much... She had to know. "What's happened to you? You're not the Kerihk I remember."  
  
Kerihk sighed in irritation. "Well maybe that's because I'm not."  
"You'll find what you lost again soon."  
"WHAT are you ON about?"  
  
((And like the rain that falls into the sea  
In a moment what has been lost will be...))  
  
"Nothing. You'll understand someday. Someday..."  
  
((When love takes you in...))  
  
Kerihk looked a bit scared. He couldn't remember his past life. If he was any different, what did it mean?  
  
((... Everything changes  
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart  
And this love will never let you go  
There is nothing that could ever cause this love to lose its hold...))  
  
Taidu's unblinking stare only made him feel more uneasy. Still, he shook it off and asked again, "Why are you following us?"  
  
"I told you. I have a Millennium Item too, so my alter-ego, Tali Takada, should go with you on your journey."  
  
"Why haven't you shown yourself until now?"  
  
"I wanted to observe. But right now, I want to talk with you. Will you come with me?"  
  
((When love takes you in and everything changes  
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart  
When love takes you home and says you belong here  
The loneliness ends and a new life begins  
When love takes you in for good...))  
  
Kerihk could've fought her. He could've told her to scram. He could have done anything to make her wish she'd never crossed him and freaked him out so badly, but he didn't. He chose to do what she wanted. Why remained a mystery to him. But maybe it had something to do with that unblinking stare of hers and what she spoke of. That emotion he had long forgotten. Would he really ever experience it again?  
  
((... When love takes you in...))  
  
***  
  
Seto Kaiba sat at his desk, looking at the six kids and five of their alter-egos standing in front of him. He couldn't believe he'd let Misaki talk him into this. She'd asked him to at least hear them out, but the whole tale sounded fishy, even for this group of nerds.  
  
Mokuba and Makimura were still in the waiting room as far as his knowledge of the day's events stretched. Misaki and "Himoko" were waiting by the door for the unexpected party to make their plea. Kokoroe Fujishima, Kaiba's partner and best friend (though he never admitted it, even to Ro) was standing by his chair, just as curious as he was.  
  
When Bakura had realized Kerihk had disappeared and cut off their mental link, he had immediately become anxious and wanted to go find him. Yami agreed, but mainly because he was afraid of the havoc Kerihk could be causing. However, they heard no police sirens between the time they realized he was missing and the time Misaki appeared to tell them Kaiba would see them, so Setsuna convinced them to leave him alone.  
  
"Everyone needs time to themselves, I should know," she had said.  
"Yeah, but when he returns he'll be anything but grateful," Yami had grumbled in reply.  
  
Kaiba himself didn't like the idea of a chaotic yami wandering unsupervised around his company's quarters, but there were more important things to think about than Kerihk's mysterious disappearance.  
  
"Now, let me get this straight. Your friends, Jonouchi Katsuya, Honda Hiroto, Mazaki Anzu, Gotoh Tetsuya, Saito Ryoku, and Takaya Naoko, were kidnapped by a strange black hole sent by Pegasus to lure the bearers of the Millennium Items to Duelist Kingdom," he said. The others nodded. "First things first. How did he do it?"  
  
"He used the Millennium Eye," Yugi explained.  
"How did he get the Eye back?" Kaiba questioned.  
"Jeez! No one told me there would be a quiz involved!" Takehiko hissed to Dajan.  
  
Everyone looked at Bakura to answer the last question.  
  
(A/N: I'm leaving for camp now, so see ya!)  
  
**********************************************************************************************************  
  
(A/N: I'm back! Now I can write again! Sorry this took so long!)  
  
Everyone looked at Bakura to answer the last question.  
  
"We lost it," Bakura admitted. "Right after our duel with Malik. When he got to sent to Yami's soul room the Millennium Eye dropped out of his pocket. I don't remember if he got it back again, but I'm assuming that's how we lost it. Pegasus probably found it again when he entered the arena." (a/n: I'm guessing here. I've only seen the first 22 episodes that aired on Kids WB and read spoilers which aren't always reliable.)  
  
Kaiba crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. Ro quickly glanced in his direction, trying to read his face, but his features showed no emotions.  
  
"I don't know about this," Kaiba said slowly. "Even if Pegasus did somehow retrieve his Millennium Eye, how come he waited until you entered your freshman year to spark his revenge?"  
  
The question appeared to be directed to Yugi. The small boy thought for a moment, hesitated, and looked at his yami.  
  
/What do you think, Yami?/ he asked through their mental link.  
//To be honest, I'm not sure why he waited. Possibly his own yami wanted all of us to meet up before he...// Yugi noticed Yami's gaze travel toward Kiara.  
/Before he what?/  
//There are a lot of things you don't know yet, Yugi. I haven't had the need to tell you. But... I'm a priest. Not a priest of a god or anything. I'm a priest of the light.//  
/Ironic your name is "Yami."/  
//That's beside the point. As the priest... well, I don't think I should say anymore on that subject yet. Before what, I can't tell you either. But, I think he wanted all of us together, all wrapped up with a big bow like a package on your "Christmas." He thinks of us as sitting ducks waiting for him to make the first move. Or it may have something to do with the fact that I, too, was fifteen when my Shadow Games journey truly began. Anyway, I'm sure he has his reasons.//  
  
Yugi decided to answer Kaiba with his own opinion, while incorporating Yami's advice. "I think Pegasus was probably just biding his time, waiting for us to let our guard down, then striking with immense power. He was most likely building up his defenses between our last battle and now. Or maybe he wanted us to meet up with all the other Millennium Item bearers, just so he could destroy us all together instead of one-by-one."  
  
"That's quite philosophical, but what does it have to do with me?" Kaiba asked. "I wouldn't put it past Pegasus to do something like that, but the whole magic scam still has me doubtful. Still, looking at you and your... 'yamis' as you call them, it doesn't seem so freakin' farfetched. But I don't do magic. I've got a head for numbers and strategies and not much else."  
  
(a/n: don't ask me when "freaking" became the new phrase, but it's not considered a swear and it's not something I would say, so I figured I'd let Kaiba use it. See, my sisters and I are the Kaiba Haters Club and Kit bashes Kaiba while Casia ignores him. But I'm a whole lot more serious about distributing parts equally than either of them, so Seto Kaiba's lucked out... this time.)  
  
"That's what we came to talk to you about," Yugi said, somewhat breathlessly. "Um, we talked about it, and a whole lot of dueling will be involved, so we thought you might... consent helping us out with, you know, dueling strategies and stuff. That is, if you want to," he added quickly, ignoring Yami's look of disgust, "but we also needed to ask you for... um... a loan."  
  
"A loan?"  
  
"Yeah. Uh, we need money to buy a boat big enough to carry all twelve of us - fourteen if Misaki and Himoko come along. We can't afford it on our own, but you have enough money... We'll pay you back, too... er, somehow."  
  
Yami decided not to mention the fact to his aibyou that they may not live to pay him back anyway. 'There are some things I should have told him sooner... and some I hope he never needs to know.'  
  
Kaiba's face bore a look which clearly read what-are-you-morons-talking-about-you-are-really-freaking-me-out-now. Seeing and comprehending this, Misaki put her hand on Kaiba's shoulder. He jerked back and looked at her curiously. Putting on her most pleading face, Misaki decided to beg.  
  
"Seto, this is beyond you and me. It's supernatural and out-of-the-ordinary. The whole world is already beginning to darken, and now a few of our friends have been taken by this darkness. It must be stopped, at any cost. But we can't do it alone. We need everyone's help for support and encouragement. Right now we won't risk announcing the situation to the world, but you should be flattered we decided to tell you. Won't you help us, Seto-chan?  
  
"We're on a mission, Seto. By rejecting our request, you sentence us to taking the harder, riskier route to Duelist Kingdom - by way of contacting Pegasus and begging him to take us to Duelist Kingdom. He can easily destroy us that way. In other words, you sentence us to death. But if you help us, we'll make it worth your while."  
  
(A/N: Now I'm listening to Jake: Reunion.)  
  
Misaki's brown eyes glittered behind her glasses. Kaiba groaned inwardly. He couldn't stand seeing women cry. Besides, he'd like to get back at Pegasus too... Suddenly a thought hit him, and he grinned broadly.  
  
"I'll give you the money for the ship," he said, watching the faces of the beggars light up, "on one condition."  
  
Their smiles faded and their eyes asked him to go on. Kaiba couldn't help noticing the suspicious twinkle in Yami's ruby eyes.  
  
"I'll give you the money," he said again, "on the condition that you let me come with you. I want to help kick Pegasus's butt."  
  
For a moment no one said anything. Then Takehiko punched the air. "Yes!" he cried. "We went over the prospect that you might come along, but we didn't expect you to do it! Of course, Kaiba! You can come!"  
  
"We'll need all the help we can get," Hikaru giggled.  
  
Smirking, Kaiba put in his two cents. "Looking at this sorry group in the first place it's a wonder you ALL weren't captured without me to help you."  
  
Yugi put out a hand to keep Yami from lunging at Kaiba after the snide comment. "We're glad you'll help us, Kaiba," Yugi said. "We were hoping -"  
  
Just then, there were many shouts as both Dajan and Ay attempted to lean against the office door at the same time and came crashing to the ground, Mokuba and Makimura on top of them. Kaiba and Yugi-tachi jumped up, shocked.  
  
"Mokuba! Makimura!" Kaiba and Ro cried together. "What are you doing?" asked Kaiba.  
  
Mokuba smiled sheepishly. "Uh, well we weren't eavesdropping..." he lied. Makimura poked him. "Okay, maybe we were, but... Seto, we want to come!"  
  
"What?"  
  
Dajan and Ay pried the kids off their backs and stood up, brushing themselves off. Mokuba cleared his through and made his proposal.  
  
"We want to come with you guys to fight Pegasus. Makimura and I were kept hostage by him and we want revenge too. Please Seto? I promise we won't get in the way!"  
  
Makimura nodded and gave her brother Ro puppy-dog eyes.  
  
Kaiba and Ro shook their heads furiously. "Of course not! You're much too young. You'll stay here with Misaki's grandparents and wait for us to return."  
  
***  
  
No one was surprised when Mokuba and Makimura convinced their brothers to let them come along. Yugi-tachi knew both Ro and Kaiba loved their younger siblings more than life itself and would do anything for them. Besides, they didn't really want to be separated from each other again.  
  
Kaiba, Ro, and Misaki took over Operation Ship as Takehiko called it into their own hands. Through Kaiba's connections they were able to rent a ship large enough to carry all of them, and then some. All that remained was the packing of belongings... and an excuse for their families.   
  
Ai came to the rescue. She phoned everyone's families (including her own mother, Shouko, living in Osaka) and told them they were going on a camping trip for the spring break. Everyone accepted this, especially Bakura's stepsister. Kamui was very warm and excited about Bakura not being around for a bit, to everyone's surprise... Bakura chose not to say anything, but he suspected "looking the other way" hadn't stopped Kamui from overhearing their conversation at his house the day before.  
  
It had been an hour in a half since Kerihk had disappeared. Kaiba, Ro, and Misaki were still working on that ship. Everyone else was preparing to go home and pack up what they'd need for the journey. Yami advised them not to take anything valuable - you never know what will happen and their belongings may not make it through the entire journey. Finally they settled on just bringing clothes, toiletries, food, and a few other necessities.  
  
Bakura was getting worried. Where was Kerihk? He didn't mind not hearing "baka" every five minutes for once, but it made him uneasy. Besides, he kept hearing the wind and it was freaking him out. Kerihk would have made fun of him, but at least it would get his mind off his whims. He could swear the wind was calling to him. ~*~Ryou... Bakura...~*~ it seemed to call. And he had this image of his mother playing over and over in his mind... She was telling him to listen to the wind. She always said the voice of silence will guide you. But he'd never had a chance to ask her what she meant by that...  
  
"OK... then I'd say the best route is the same one we took to the Duelist Tournament," Yugi was saying, jolting Bakura back to reality. He and the others (minus Kaiba, Ro, Misaki, Himoko, Ai, Setsuna, Makimura, and Mokuba) were pouring over a map, trying to decide their path to Duelist Kingdom.  
  
"That would make sense, but Pegasus might expect us to take that way," Kiara argued. "We need to be inconspicuous."  
  
"Right," Hikaru said. "So maybe we should make for one of the smaller islands with the land bridges to the castle. It will take more time, but we have to keep our guard up. Hopefully they won't spot us, and if they do, they might think we're one of their own ships coming to deliver more cards and technology to the mainframe."  
  
"Well, we can always hope..." Yami sighed.  
  
Bakura's deep amber eyes narrowed. He really didn't care what route they chose, as long as they made it to Duelist Kingdom unscathed. That Pegasus...  
  
Suddenly he felt as if someone had pushed him square in the back between his shoulder blades, a vulnerable spot. He gasped quickly and quietly, eyes widening in the darkness around him. He felt cold. The wind was loud.  
  
There was a scene coming to him. Black shapes with glowing red eyes. They were coming... they were coming...  
  
"Bakura? Bakura?"  
  
Yugi's hand came out of nowhere. Bakura looked down and saw the short high school freshman looking concerned at his expression. "Are you all right, Bakura?" he asked. "You were zoning out there."  
  
"Oh, I'm fine, Yugi, just - LOOK OUT!" he cried, pushing Yugi out of the way. A black figure had made a mad dash at Yugi, and Bakura had just made it out of his path.  
  
"Bakura, what's wrong? AHHH!" Yugi cried as the room went pitch black before his very eyes. Everyone else screamed as the darkness passed upon them.  
  
"What's happening?"  
"What's going on?"  
"I can't see!"  
"It's so cold!"  
  
Bakura gasped. It was just like the vision he had just had!  
  
The dark figures with their glowing eyes marched toward the panicking group. Hikaru let out a scream and fell into Kiara's arms.  
  
"What are they?" she screamed.  
"Minions, sent from the Shadow Realm," Yami growled. "And we have no way to fight them off..."  
  
The minions crept ever closer, bringing chill and evil with them. Yugi almost wishes they'd hurry it up... just get it over with...  
  
One lunged at Takehiko. He screamed loudly, but found he couldn't move in his fear.  
  
"TAKEHIKO!" Ahmose cried. He held up a hand and a fiery dart appeared in it. "DARTS OF FLAME RELEASE!" he cried, throwing the fire dart at the minion. It hit it square-on, and it disappeared.  
  
Everyone stared at Ahmose. "How did you DO that?" Yami asked. "Our powers were locked away along with the Shadow Games!"  
  
Ahmose shook his head. "I d-don't know," he stuttered, looking bewildered. Then his face grew serious. "But I don't really care! FIRE BULLET!" More fire shot from his finger tips at the minions. They howled in anguish and were gone, but more followed them.  
  
"You have POWERS?" Yugi exclaimed.  
  
"It's a long story," Yami sighed. "We were given them to aid us in our journey to fight the Shadow 5000 years ago when we first beheld the Millennium Items. We used them to defeat the Shadow Powers but were told they would be locked away until someone else was strong enough to unleash them." His eyes widened. "That means one of you hikaris must have the power of - what's it called again - oh, right - PRECOGNITION!"  
  
"What's precognition?" Bakura asked, scared even though Ahmose was succeeding in defeating the dark minions.  
  
"I'm not sure," Yami answered, "but it must be a good thing. Now, let's see if Ahmose isn't the only one who has been reunited with his powers. SHINE SENNEN SEAL!" He thrust his hand forward, the Millennium Seal (the Eye) glowing on his forehead. It also appeared on his hand and went soaring upon a group of minions, destroying them.  
  
Angel-like wings appeared on Kiara's back and a golden staff with a rose quartz stone at the top formed in her hands. She flew above the minions and sent pink sparks down at them, shouting, "PIERCING LIGHT IN DARKNESS!"  
  
Ay folded his hands and pointed his two index fingers upward. "SUBMERGE NILE DEEPS!" he shouted, sending a wave of water at the minions. Together the four yamis attacked with their newfound power, driving the minions back.  
  
The minions decided to regroup. They hurried back and clumped together like a giant ball of negative energy. Suddenly dark purple sparks began emitting from them, and they fused themselves into one powerful, fiery being...  
  
Yami gasped. "A Tangannohi!"  
"A what? That's not good, is it?" Yugi asked in desperation.  
Kiara answered, "A Tangannohi is a mystical beast formed of dark energy and fire. It is immensely powerful. I don't know if we have the strength to confine it to the Shadow Realm, let alone destroy it!"  
"Oh no!" Hikaru shouted. Takehiko, Bakura, and Dajan also shrank back in fear.  
  
The Tangannohi stepped toward them, taking slow but humongous strides. Yami raised his arm.  
  
"SHINE SENNEN SEAL!"  
  
The attack caused the beast to stumble, giving Ahmose, Ay, and Kiara an opening to strike.  
  
"SUBMERGE NILE DEEPS!"  
"PIERCING LIGHT IN DARKNESS!"  
"DARTS OF FLAME RELEASE!"  
"SHINE SENNEN SEAL!"  
  
Attacking as one, the Tangannohi stepped back, but immediately regained its confidence and prepared its own assault. A giant fireball began forming in its claws.  
  
Yami didn't take his eyes off the Tangannohi as he whispered to Yugi-tachi, "Go, Yugi. Run. Get out of here before it makes its move. NOW!"  
  
Yugi nodded in fear and grabbed Bakura's arm. The two of them, plus Takehiko, Dajan, and Hikaru, ran as fast as the could from the area just as the Tangannohi made his attack. Roaring, the Tangannohi threw its fireball at the yamis, the force of the assault knocking the hikaris off balance. The heat burned their faces, but it was their yamis they were worried about -  
  
Yugi looked up, shocked. Something was holding back the Tangannohi's fire! It was like a barrier or something, but where was it coming from?  
  
"Look! It's Kerihk!" shouted Takehiko, pointing to the area where the attack had been fired.  
  
Bakura gasped. Kerihk's hands were stretched before him, his face scrunched up as if he was in terrible pain. It looked like he was holding a wall in front of the fire to stop it from hitting the yamis.  
  
"Kerihk's power! It must have something to do with shields or something!" Bakura exclaimed happily.  
  
But their luck was about to run out. It didn't look like Kerihk could keep this up much longer. Fortunately, they had a back-up plan.  
  
"Broach of the power of wisdom, grant my wish," a deep, feminine voice sang out of nowhere. "The strength of my heart, open the portal to the Realm of Shadows using the one you chose to release the Wish!"  
  
Bakura suddenly felt as if someone had yanked his head backward. Almost against his will, his hand extended in front of him and he felt tremendous power surge up and out of his arm.  
  
The intensity of the power radiating from him was too much. His energy was spent and he sank to the ground in a dead faint.  
  
He missed what happened next. A giant portal to the Shadow Realm opened before them, a great hole of swirling clouds and darkness. With a roar, the Tangannohi was sucked into the portal and vanished, never to roam the Earth again.  
  
Kerihk sighed as he let down his barrier and fell to the ground in exhaustion. Two ladies, one of whom had cast the spell with the use of the Millennium Broach, were knelt beside him, the other yamis also coming to thank him.  
  
"Kerihk, you did it! You protected us from the Tangannohi's attack!" Kiara cried happily. "Thank you so much!"  
  
"Yeah, you did awesome, Kerihk," Yami said, smiling for real.  
"You're not too bad after all," Ay added. Ahmose nodded in agreement.  
  
Kerihk pretended not to hear them, but inside he was concerned by the feeling of warmth beginning to thaw his cold heart.  
  
That was when the group noticed the ladies with the Broach. "Who are you?" asked Kiara.  
  
"Taidu, Gamer of Wishes," answered the taller of the two. "The spirit of the Millennium Broach, in possession of Takada Tali."  
  
The other girl, Tali Takada, smiled and fingered the Millennium Broach.  
  
"Tali, you've got a Millennium Item too?" Hikaru gasped loudly from the other side.  
"Who's Tali?" asked Dajan.  
"My brother Keikeru's friend," Hikaru answered. "I never would have thought she, of all people -"  
  
"Yes, I have the Broach," Tali chuckled. "Don't look so surprised, Hikaru-chan!"  
  
Taidu smiled. "I'm sorry if Kerihk's disappearance alarmed you, but I needed to talk to him," she explained. "I also must apologize again. We have been following you since the train ride to Atami, spying to make sure you really were the Shadow Gamers."  
  
"Shadow Gamers?"  
  
"In order to fight the Shadow Powers, one must be willing to do battle. After this battle, I believe the Shadow Gamers have finally been fully brought back to life." She smiled warmly at the group.  
  
Yugi's lips twitched. It was all so confusing, but now it was Bakura he was worried about. The boy had fainted again. Why in the world was this happening to him all of a sudden?  
  
"Hey guys, Bakura's out of it again," he called out to the yamis.  
  
Taidu's face showed extreme surprise for some reason as she sailed over to the hikaris along with the yamis. She kneeled down beside Bakura who was lying on the ground in a deep sleep.  
  
"Not again!" groaned Kerihk. "The kid's even weaker than I thought!"  
  
"On the contrary, Kerihk," Taidu murmured. "He's stronger than you can comprehend. When I used the Broach's Wish spell I never thought -" She frowned, and stroked Bakura's silver hair. "All he needs is a rest to regain his strength. It was too much for his first time."  
  
The others gave her a strange look, including Tali. "What do you mean?" Tali asked.  
  
Taidu shook her head. "Later. Let him rest now. Um, in the real world, that is." She gave her Broach a twist and a turn, and the darkness about them disappeared, leaving them back in the waiting room of Kaiba's mansion.  
  
At that precise moment, Kaiba, Misaki, Himoko, Ro, Ai, Setsuna, Makimura, and Mokuba came running into the room. "Are you guys all right?" Ai asked, completely out of breath.  
  
"We heard someone scream, 'look out'," Kaiba added.  
"What happened to Bakura?" Misaki squealed.  
  
The group exchanged glances from their seats on the floor. Yugi and Yami looked at each other. Finally Yugi smiled.  
  
"You explain," he said, going back to the map of Duelist Kingdom.  
  
  
Angel: YAY!!! That chapter came out better than I thought it would. And da next chapter's gonna be SOOOOOOOOOOOO fun!!!  
  
Bakura: No, it won't. I've always got to be the pathetic person in these fics. Why is that?  
  
Angel: Cuz you're such a BISHIE when you're pathetic!  
  
Bakura: ...  
  
Yugi: I'm scared of chapter 6. I gotta be all brave and stuff. When does Duel Monsters get involved?  
  
Angel: I'll check. ::checks outline:: Chapter after next, but the game doesn't really start till chapter eight.  
  
Hikaru: Ooh, this is gonna be fun! But who should I choose? Yugi? Or Bakura? They're both so sweet and bishonen! *sobs* Can I do the translations today to get my mind off the subject?  
  
Angel: Be my guest.  
  
From the Desk of Hikaru Daichi:  
  
Anaiyu, Oleu, and Niku - I made 'em up! They got no meaning other than my own *mwahaha*  
baka - fool, idiot  
itai - ow, hurts  
per aa - Egyptian for great land, also used for pharaoh  
fuku - uniform  
maa, maa - now, now  
Konshin wa Atami ni tomarimasu ka? - does the Konshin stop at Atami?  
hai, tomarimasu ga - yes, it does  
Atami made ikura desu ka? - how much is it to Atami?  
¥1000 - one thousand yen  
Atami made no kippu o ju-ni-mai kudasai - please give me twelve tickets for Atami  
nani? - what?  
hai, ju-ni-mai - yes, twelve tickets  
okei - okay  
ano - um  
kono tsugi no Konshin wa nanbansen desu ka? - what track is the next Konshin leaving from?  
san-bansen desu - track number three  
arigatou - thank you  
Isis - goddess of mourning, wife of Osiris, mother of Horus (she was something different at first but when Osiris "died" she became a goddess of mourning with her sister Nepthys)  
Nepthys - another goddess of mourning in Egyptian religion  
aibyou - pet  
shinkansen - bullet train  
Hikari - a type of bullet train; the other is the Kodama which makes more stops than the Hikari  
iie - no  
yaa - oh  
al ti-ra veh al tif-chad - "don't be frightened and don't be scared" in Hebrew (I got this from the "Prince of Egypt"!)  
Pentaware - one of the many sons of Pharaoh Ramses III. His name was not on the list of sons to inherit the kingdom so he and his mother, Queen Teye, hatched a plan to kill the pharaoh. In this story, he was Yami's half-brother  
gomen nasai - I'm very sorry  
kochira e douzo - this way, please  
-tachi - and company  
sennen - millennium  
tangannohi - literally, tangan no hi, which means "eye of fire"  
  
CHARACTER OF THE DAY:  
  
Today's Character of the Day is Seto Kaiba, age 15 in the show but in this fanfic, he's eighteen. Seto Kaiba's parents died when he was young, so he and his little brother Mokuba were sent to an orphanage. Many people wanted to adopt Seto, saying he was a genius, but he refused to leave without his little brother. One day the owner of what eventually became Kaiba Corp. came to the orphanage and Seto challenged him to a game of chess. As a reward for beating the man at the chess game, he adopted both Mokuba and Seto. But he wasn't a very good father to the two and worked Seto very hard to learn the business of electronics and trade. Although Seto learned his lessons well, the lack of love caused him to become cold-hearted and serious. The only person he loved was his brother Mokuba. When Pegasus captured Mokuba to take over Kaiba Corp., Seto went to any length to save him. He even went as far as to cheat in his duel with Yugi by using Yugi's heart against him. Then, in his duel against Pegasus, Seto lost and was captured in a card. Later Yugi freed him and he managed to rescue his brother.  
  
Although Seto Kaiba is cold-hearted, he is also very smart and brave. Without his knowledge the group would fall into serious trouble. When there is danger, Seto will always help out. He loves his little brother more than anything and secretly he likes Yugi's group as well. Will we ever see Seto put aside his loner ways and join the friendship ring? Who knows? Anything's possible in Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
Next time: Chapter Six, Chuukin Omoide (as told by Hikaru): We were all set to set sail for Duelist Kingdom when Kerihk and Setsuna got into a bit of a spat. Luckily Kiara saved them from each other by recalling a time when her half-brother Pentaware and Yami did some foolish antics in the Temple of Ra. We were all laughing as we boarded the boat, but the fun didn't last long when I heard, "Takehiko overboard!" Yep, that's right. He got seasick and fell over the side of the boat in a storm. I jumped in to save him, Yugi right after me. As Ryou prepared to throw us a rope, he got thrown in too! Takehiko was saved but Yami went ballistic as Yugi, Ryou, and I floated away in the storm. We were forced to hang out in a cave and we told each other our life stories. I didn't know half the things I learned from them, and I realized with guilt that I had a bit of a sweet spot for both of them. It's so awesome that Ryou and I have the same favorite card! But his eyes scare me sometimes... they're so beautiful... beautiful but sad... 


	6. Chuukin Omoide - Part One

Angel: "So la la la la live out loud! Live out loud, yeah!" I'm listening to Steven Curtis Chapman: Declaration again! "And if we have been filled with living hope we're gonna over flow!"  
The place called Ryúnade is from my doujinshi. It's the magical place where the creatures from Duel Monsters live.  
YAY!!! WE FINALLY GOT A NEW YUGIOH EPISODE!!!! IT'S SOOOOOOOOOOO COOL!!! I loved the kawaii chant... "Realm of darkness in this twilight hour, accept these souls and grant us power..." OK, so it's not that kawaii but it added color! AND WE GOT TO SEE YAMI BAKURA! HIP HIP HOORAY!  
Um, just to clear something up... Bakura's not being a sissy. There's a reason for his sudden unconsciousness. So, yeah.  
Hee hee... a plot twist! Who will win Hikaru's heart, Yugi or Bakura? How can she choose?  
To Liashi: Thanks! Yeah, it's hard writing about so many characters. I don't know what I was thinking, it's terrifically hard... but boy is it fun! ::giggles:: I'll try my best to make it interesting. And I entirely understand what you meant about the first couple chapters being a bit of a bore... I didn't enjoy writing them much so I decided to leave them in cliffhangers just to keep people reading. The rest of the story I hope will be very gripping! PS: Me loves your penname!  
To Teoshime-chan: Thanx 4 the gr8 review! Konshin 4 Ever! IM me! C YA on the 31!  
One more thing: Sakura Fujishima's name has been changed to Makimura Fujishima. The reason why will be explained later on. *Much* later on. Like in book 2.  
*Sobs* I NEED MORE FEEBACK! I'm desperate and so are my sisters! *sniffles* Nobody likes our writing...  
Disclaimer: Bladdie bladdie blah... NO SHOUNEN OR SHOUJO AI!!! It just makes me feel better to tell you that, especially cuz there's a little bit of a mushy part between Ahmose and Yami, but it's just friendship, not shounen ai. KK? And I'll be reminding you of that constantly, just to annoy you...  
This is part 1 of chap 6 cuz this chapter was too long so it wouldn't upload on ff.net so I had to split it into two parts. FYI ~ Angel  
  
" " - talking  
  
' ' - thinking  
  
/ - Any Hikari talking to his or her Yami in his or her mind  
  
// - Any Yami talking to his or her Hikari in his or her mind  
  
Hikari No Yuugi  
Play of Light  
  
by Angel  
  
Chapter Six Part One: Chuukin Omoide  
Casting Memories  
  
Hikaru yawned softly as she crept out of her bed in the room Kaiba had provided the girls at his mansion in Atami, which was right near his work. It was half-past five in the morning, and she just woke up feeling thirsty. Slowly she slipped her feet out from under the covers and placed them gingerly on the floor.  
  
Kiara was sleeping in the same bed as Hikaru, flat and straight as a stick. Hikaru tried to be quiet and not disturb her, but the princess' senses were keen. As Hikaru stepped out of bed, Kiara rolled over and gave a quiet moan. Hikaru froze in her position, trying not to wake her. Finally she risked a glance in her direction.  
  
The princess was still lying flat on her back, but her head was now turned slightly to the side, one arm bent underneath it. Her other arm was placed on top of the covers, and she had finally taken out her braid to reveal her long, wavy brown hair which was spread over the pillows, framing her delicate face. The moonlight shone through the white gossamer curtains and its soft glow beautified her skin.  
  
"She really is beautiful," Hikaru whispered. "She does look just like a princess." Slowly she reached out her hand, hesitated, then stroked the strands of rich brown hair stretched across the pillows. She then reached out with her index finger and touched Kiara's smooth, unblemished skin, long-tanned by Egyptian sun. Moonbeams seemed to dance on her beauty, highlighting traces of sorrow and regret Hikaru hadn't noticed in the light. Frowning slightly at her new observations, she wondered why her yami's face appeared that way. Kiara seemed different from the other yamis. She was brighter. Her light shone like a star. She glowed. When you were near her, you had to be happy...  
  
... at least that was how Hikaru felt. It was the same way with the others. She seemed like one of the kids... like five thousand years of entrapment in a pendant hadn't even fazed her personality. And yet, the sorrow remained. Somehow, Hikaru sensed the sadness in all the yamis, much as they tried to hide it. Was it all because of the Shadow Games?  
  
If it was...  
  
... she didn't want to end up the same.  
  
Hikaru pulled her hand away from Kiara's face, choking back tears. She hadn't realized until then how much the adventure had already changed her. She could look in a mirror and see her face... describe it... every aspect of her outside appearance was clear as daylight. Inside, she had forgotten. Maybe... she hoped... this journey would cure that. She wanted to discover who she was. Hikaru was a deep thinker, and her heart was crafted of gold. The same went for Kiara, a lost soul, searching for her purpose.  
  
"Someday, we'll know..." Hikaru muttered.  
  
Sighing, Hikaru walked lightly past Kiara and made her way past the beds inhabited by Ai, Setsuna, Misaki, Himoko, Tali, Taidu, and Makimura. They were all deeply asleep; Hikaru stopped for a moment to tuck the covers back around Makimura's shoulders. Then she quietly slipped out of the room to the bathroom.  
  
The bathroom was quite large. Hikaru yanked a plastic cup out of the cup compartment and filled it with cold faucet water. She gulped it down, then threw the empty cup in the wastebasket.  
  
She yawned again as she tiptoed out of the bathroom and down the hallway, back to her room. As she passed the boys' room, she heard a faint coo come through the door, followed by a series of soft sobs. Curious, she turned the doorknob and entered the darkened room.  
  
Everything was still. Yugi and Yami, who had been feeling very uncomfortable about sharing a bed (Yugi because of his courtesy, Yami because of his love of privacy), were (ironically) snuggled together under the sheets, the covers kicked to the end of the bed. Dajan and Ay were facing opposite sides of their bed; the same went for Takehiko and Ahmose. Mokuba, unsurprisingly, was sleeping upside-down.  
  
But the bed Kerihk and Bakura were supposed to be sharing was occupied only by the yami. The hikari was nowhere to be seen. This puzzled Hikaru greatly because Bakura had fainted six hours earlier and had missed dinner. It hadn't looked like he'd be waking up any time soon.  
  
The weeping had stopped for a moment when Hikaru had entered the room, but now a bit of a choking sob sounded throughout the room. It sounded like it was coming from the dark corner opposite the beds.  
  
"Hello?" Hikaru whispered. "Is someone there?"  
  
"Erm... yes... Go back to bed, Hikaru, I'm all right," Bakura's voice whispered back, slightly shaky.  
  
"Ryou-chan?" Hikaru said softly, wandering over to his side. He was sitting on the floor, hair a tangled mess, face pressed against his knees. "Douka shita no?"  
  
'My gosh, I feel like an idiot,' Bakura thought, wiping tears from his amber eyes. 'It was only a dream. Only a dream.' Out loud, he replied, "Daijobu desu. Don't worry, Hikaru-san. I'm okay. Go back to bed..."  
  
"I will if you tell me what's wrong," Hikaru whispered. She sat down beside him and looked at his face. "Won't you? Onegai?"  
  
Bakura hugged his knees. "Please, Hikaru-chan, I'm sure it's just my nerves about leaving tomorrow. I'm not trying to be a baby or anything."  
  
"I know that. Why were you crying?"  
"I wasn't."  
"Yes, you were. You just fainted. What woke you up?"  
"Kerihk's snoring."  
"He's not snoring."  
"He was before."  
  
Hikaru's lavender eyes shifted to the ceiling. She blinked, and looked back at the silver-haired boy. "Did you have the dream again?"  
  
"... Hai, hai."  
  
Hikaru blew some hair out of her face and leaned close to him. He smelled really good, she noticed. Kind of like ivory soap or something.  
  
Unlike Takehiko, who constantly smelled like sweat because of all his sports activity.  
  
Hikaru's eyes seemed to look straight into Bakura's soul. He felt like he was drowning in them. She was genuinely concerned about him.   
  
"Ryou-chan," she breathed in his ear. "It's going to be okay. I promise. I don't understand what's going on with you, but we'll back you up all the way. Really."  
  
Bakura felt the tears prick his eyes again. "It... hurts," he choked out.  
"What hurts?"  
"The - the images... It's so dark... and evil... I'm sorry, I'm just so scared. I'm afraid... of being alone."  
  
Like a mother trying to comfort her injured child, Hikaru reached her arms around Bakura's neck and leaned herself on him. "I'm so sorry," she muttered. "It'll be okay. It will."  
  
It felt so good being with her, like everything was right. Just by being there for him, Bakura felt the tenseness leave him. Of all things, he didn't want to be alone in the dark. He was afraid to be alone with his thoughts. She was bringing peace to him, bringing hope. For now, it was all that helped... but he had a feeling everything wouldn't be okay after all.  
  
***  
  
"Hey, Setsuna! Would you give me a hand with this box?"  
"Yo, Ahmose and Ay! Stop goofing off and help out!"  
"Keep it steady, Yami. Alright, put it down there."  
"Do you need help? I can do that."  
  
Ai yawned as she followed Yugi, Takehiko, and Dajan outside and onto the harbor where their ship was docked. The calls of the yamis (a/n: see above) echoed throughout the land. It was nice to see them all working together like that, but Ai's mind was on something other than the loading of the ship.  
  
Bakura and Hikaru had been found awake at six-thirty in the morning by early-birds Kiara and Kerihk (Yami was up by then too, but he decided to remain in bed with Yugi [a/n: don't get any ideas, you sick-minded peoples!] so he didn't get up right away). The other yamis had awoken shortly afterwards, their normal waking time being when the sun rises. Most of the hikaris had managed to sleep through the noise the yamis made when they began packing, but Ai was already one-fourth awake and couldn't ignore the sounds. She pulled on her slippers and headed out to get something to eat. As she was heading down the stairs of Kaiba's mansion, she heard a few people laughing down the hall. Curious, she peeked around the corner.  
  
There were Kiara and Kerihk standing above their hikaris who were playing a game of Duel Monsters on the floor. Kerihk was teasing because they had gotten up so early and Kiara was asking why that was so. Ai gasped when she heard Bakura - or "Ryou-chan" as Hikaru called him, and as Ai called him in her thoughts - admit that he had been having trouble sleeping and Hikaru had offered to help him get his mind off of whatever was bothering him, so they had spent a long time talking outside on the front steps before coming back inside to play Duel Monsters (they were on their third game). Hikaru giggled, turning red. Kerihk looked like he was about to make a rude comment that might hurt Bakura's feelings, but somehow Kiara's finger found its way to his lips. One hopeful look from those pink eyes of hers destroyed any anger in his heart at the moment. She smiled gently. Ai couldn't help but feel a little jealous as Hikaru and Bakura sat side-by-side, watching their yamis have a staring contest.  
  
It had seemed that Kiara and Kerihk were playing with each other, the way his hand subconsciously made its way to her back, trying to pull her toward him. Kiara's smile was wider now, and she looked breathless, as did he...  
  
At that moment Setsuna walked in sleepily. Kerihk gave a small moan of disappointment, but as soon as Setsuna asked what they were doing they stopped acting so strangely and decided to wake up Yami to start loading the ship. For the rest of the day, they had been pretty much normal, except Kerihk had been avoiding Kiara and looked a little confused.  
  
Bakura and Hikaru, however, had remained by each other's side the rest of the day. Ai's only comfort was Yugi, who looked almost as disappointed as she did, except he didn't seem the least bit jealous. Ai had noticed from the beginning that the small boy seemed to like Hikaru a lot, the way he had been looking at her while they waited for Seto Kaiba to talk to them, and then at dinner when they were sitting next to each other. Ai had taken it as a good sign that Hikaru seemed to like Yugi more than Bakura, but now she wasn't so sure.  
  
Now, Ai took a seat by Tali and Misaki, watching her yami walk lightly up the platform to the boat though loaded down with supplies. It had recently been discovered that Setsuna's power was super-strength (which Ai thought was awfully ironic, as Setsuna was very skinny and not all that tall; then again, she was quite a tough girl). This was a benefit for the Shadow Gamers as they now called themselves - the loading went twice as fast.  
  
Kerihk jumped down the platform to grab another box. He, Yami, Ahmose, and Ay had formed an assembly line to pack the boxes on the ship. From the deck of the ship, Yami called out for him to send up more food supplies. Kerihk looked around for the pile of rations.  
  
"Yo, Setsuna!" he yelled. "Hand me one of those boxes, will ya?" He gestured towards the food rations near Setsuna's feet.  
  
Setsuna bent down to pick up the box. She balanced it on her shoulders and skipped over to Kerihk, handing it to him. But she dropped it before he was ready and it slid out of his grip. He winced as it landed on his toes.  
  
"ITAI! WHAT WAS THAT FOR, BAKAMONO?" he screamed at Setsuna as he shoved the box off his feet, giving her the Evil Eye Look.  
  
"Gomen, my bad! Sometimes I forget my own strength," Setsuna apologized, slightly angered by his attitude.  
  
"Forget it? You're stupider than you look! Get outta my face, dodo!"  
  
Taidu sighed and muttered something in Egyptian which Himoko took to mean "Oh Taweret, why do you torment me with such quick-tempered children?"  
  
Setsuna turned red and puffed up her chest. "All right, then! Two can play that game!" She made a growling noise like a cat in her throat and said, "You are so full of it! I'll get out of your face when you get out of my hair, 'fellah'!"  
  
For some reason, this Egyptian comment seemed to really aggravate Kerihk's already over-reactive rage. He cursed something in Egyptian; Setsuna responded by sticking out her tongue. Yami said something in Egyptian to his sister that made her laugh, and she ran down the platform to interrupt the argument.  
  
"You two sound like my brothers," she giggled. Yami turned bright red and ducked down behind the ship's railings. Kiara continued, "One day Yami and our half-brother, Pentaware, were playing around in the Temple of Ra and they decided to play a trick on the priests. There was a bowl for purification by the Temple's entrance, and they poured some juice into the bowl. The priests were a sticky mess!" She laughed harder. "When Father found out he wasn't happy and punished them. I was there when Pentaware yelled at Yami that it was all his fault, and he responded, 'MY fault? YOU were the one who decided to test father's patience like that!' Pentaware was all excited and he went, "You are SUCH a miserable excuse for a prince! What a 'FELLAH'!" That got Yami mad and they rambled off - I can't remember exactly what they said, but - but - it was so funny when Yami pushed Pentaware into the pond!"  
  
Everyone but Yami and Yugi laughed at this. Kerihk and Setsuna seemed to forget to be angry at each other as they started again to load the ship.  
  
Yugi looked up a Yami questioningly, as if he couldn't believe his yami would be so foolish, especially in a "holy" place like the Temple of Ra. Yami stared emotionlessly at Yugi for a second; then, to Yugi's surprise, he grinned and winked, making the Loser-Seven-Days-A-Week sign on his forehead.  
  
At that, even Yugi laughed.  
  
"All right! All aboard the St. Kaiba!" Kaiba called when everything was packed on the ship.  
  
Misaki rolled her eyes as she came up with her yami, Himoko. "The St. Kaiba? You're kidding, right?"  
"Not at all. If not for my generosity, you wouldn't be going on this quest."  
"How about shutting your trap before you start attracting flies?"  
  
Kaiba blinked in surprise. Misaki blew hair out of her face, thinking, 'If I flirt, I've got to do it right.'  
  
Himoko gave her a questioning look.  
  
Misaki made it a point to keep Yami and Kaiba far away from each other. From what she had heard, the two didn't get along very well. Misaki couldn't understand why; she found them both to be very nice and interesting. (A/N: Not to mention Kaiba had been Yami's high priest in his past life, but he doesn't figure that out till later in the story. I named Kaiba's past self Semaret; interesting name, iie? Heh heh, I may hate Kaiba but I luv writing Yami/Kaiba friendship fics!) They were a lot like each other.  
  
But she guessed it had a lot to do with math. Two positives always make a negative. So she'd play it safe and make sure they didn't get the chance to kill each other.  
  
Mokuba and Makimura came screaming up the platform, Ro and Ai not far behind. The kids began a game of hide-and-seek among the sails, giggling and shrieking when they were discovered by the other.  
  
Mokuba ran up to Kaiba. "Seto, can I sit in the crow's nest?" he asked. "Please?"  
"It's awfully high, Mokuba."  
"Oh, that's okay! I'll bring a telescope."  
"That's not... what I meant..."  
  
Kerihk, who had been standing by Kaiba pushing some boxes out of the walkway, watched the scene before him. Mokuba's request reminded him of some distant memory. One name came to his mind: Ismose.   
  
//Ismose?// Kerihk wondered. //Who is Ismose?//  
/Kerihk?/ came the voice of Kerihk's hikari through their mental link.  
//Um... yeah?//  
/Who... uh... who IS Ismose?/  
  
Kerihk mentally slapped himself. He hadn't been paying attention and his thoughts traveled from his mind to Bakura's. Now he had to give the kid an answer, and he wasn't even sure himself who "Ismose" was. He thought for a moment.  
  
/Y-Yami?/ Bakura inquired timidly, forgetting to call Kerihk by his true name for once.  
//Ismose was... um... a girl I knew back in Egypt,// Kerihk lied. //I - uh - didn't remember her right away.//  
/Oh.../  
  
Kerihk let his hikari cut off the mental link, then he turned back to the situation at hand. Now both Mokuba and Makimura were begging their brothers to let them sit in the crow's nest. Kerihk gave something of a laugh and said, "Hey Mokuba, I have an idea. Why don't you and Makimura go give Ay and Taidu a hand with the steering? I'm sure they'd love some help, and I think you're just the man for the job. And woman," he added, nodding at Makimura.  
  
Mokuba's grin lit up his whole face and he called out, "C'mon, Makimura! Let's go help Ay and Taidu! This will be so fun!" The two children dashed off in laughter.  
  
Kerihk returned to business with a flushed face but a satisfied smile. Kaiba, Misaki, Ai, and Ro stared at him, unable to believe what they had just seen. Bakura, who had been watching the whole thing, nudged Yugi.  
  
"Did you see that, Yugi?" he asked.  
"Yeah," Yugi replied. "How did Kerihk know what to do with Mokuba and Makimura?"  
"Beats me," Bakura answered. Maybe there was more to his yami than he let on.  
  
***  
  
(A/N: Now I'm listening to Ave Maria sung by Celine Dion! Christmas music always makes me feel a whole lot cooler in the summer. Wait... the song just changed. Now it's Adeste Fideles which means O Come All Ye Faithful, but I'm skipping to The Prayer, duet with Andrea Bocelli. Ahh, music is so beautiful when it's sung in Italian... PS: Hi there, Snow-bunny!)  
  
The great pharaoh leaned on the side of the boat, watching the waves crash about him. It looked like a storm might be approaching. Right now, land was out of sight. Nothing but big, beautiful ocean for miles around. 'Ay must be in heaven,' Yami thought, looking toward his blue-haired companion. True, Ay had been a sailor in Egypt, a merchant by sea trade. His green eyes sparkled and he looked like he was having the time of his life as the salty sea air whipped his hair around.  
  
Except that upcoming storm probably had him uneasy, too. Yami could swear he sensed a familiar aura coming their way.  
  
Yami knew it would only take about twenty-nine hours to reach Duelist Kingdom, so he figured they would be there by midday tomorrow if luck was on their side. This was a comforting thought - maybe they'd miss the storm if it took a while to blow in. He was anxious to save his friends before something happened to them. Yet, part of him hoped it would take longer. The sooner they reached Duelist Kingdom, the sooner they faced Pegasus/Zhur. Yami knew from experience that Zhur was extremely powerful - too powerful, in fact. That power was what led to his destruction, and it would be the same for Pegasus if he could not collect all thirteen Millennium Items. Only then could he harness the great power of darkness. Yami was a powerful Priest of Light, but was he strong enough to take on Zhur.... again?  
  
Yami mentally slapped himself and bent over the edge of the ship a bit, as if trying to see his reflection in the water. Of all the times to be doubting himself! He COULD do it, and he WOULD. He had all but four of the old gang with him. They would stand by him. Kerihk may be an idiot but Yami thought he would still fight for their cause; he seemed to have given up on Operation Collect All Millennium Items At Any Cost. And then there were the hikaris. Sure, they were young, oblivious, reckless, unfocused, and inexperienced... but they would still be of help! And even that moron Kaiba would fight for the right... even though every time he saw Kaiba, Yami wanted to beat him down to size one more time. No matter how many times he was beaten, he would always remain the same arrogant creep... like Zhur.  
  
"AARRRGGGHH! STOP THINKING ABOUT ZHUR!" Yami kicked the ship in frustration. "OW!"  
  
***  
  
Ahmose had been a great warrior in Egypt, and also a close friend of Pharaoh Ramses III. He had led his troops with wisdom and vigor and always emerged victorious. It had been no surprise to the other members of the Shadow Gamers when he had been asked to learn the Shadow Games.  
  
Ahmose had never been a romantic. He had no desire for love or marriage or to raise a family. All he wanted was to fight for his kingdom, feel the heat of battle, return dirty and exhausted yet victorious, and honored for his bravery by the pharaoh.  
  
Yet Ahmose had found himself in the odd position of being a Shadow Gamer to a Priest and Priestess of Light, Prince Yami and Princess Kiara, the only children of Pharaoh Ramses III's most beloved wife, Nefertari. Ahmose understood the importance of their mission and resolved to protect them with everything he had left in him, and when Pharaoh Ramses passed away making Yami the uncrowned pharaoh, Ahmose worked to uphold his vow even harder in honor of Ramses' memory, not only as a pharaoh but also as a friend. He was even there the day Yami had been crowned at the age of sixteen. He fought along side the young pharaoh and found him to be quite a wonder, so young and naive (a/n: could that be said of Yami? Wau!). Though he was pharaoh, the son of the gods, he still treated everyone with respect, even lowly peasants and Hebrews. His own life meant nothing to him; he cared only for others (a/n: *sobs* sorry... I just love him so much, I can't stop listing his good traits! Lessee how many more I can come up with) and though he was so young and small, he stayed strong and never gave up. Slowly, Ahmose began to think of the new pharaoh as a friend, one closer than even Ramses. The Priestess, too. Kiara was like a fairy of light; she came and went like the wind.  
  
One day, Yami and another Shadow Gamer, Shaadi, had decided it best to leave the rest of the group and journey to Zhur's territory themselves. The others needed to remain on the road they had already been taking - the road to Ryúnade, the world the creatures from the Duel Monsters game roamed. Ahmose and Yami had had a talk, and Yami made him promise to protect Kiara.  
  
"With my life, I will guard her, to the death and beyond," Ahmose had replied.  
  
True to his word, Ahmose made sure no harm came to the princess who was now a very young queen (it was custom back then for the pharaoh to marry his sister as his first wife because she was the only one worthy to marry the son of the gods, a/n: so it's not a sick plot, people!). But Kiara didn't seem to need that much protecting. When Hiroshi, one of Zhur's lead Shadow Gamers, and Suzuka, Zhur's own priestess of darkness, had led an assault on Egypt, Kiara had taken her brother's place and put together an army with her influential speeches and bravery. She went as far as to dress in her brother's war clothing, saying he was within her, fighting with her. Even though she was scared stiff at Hiroshi's threat to destroy Egypt if she didn't give up her quest to Ryúnade, land of the Shadow Creatures, she still fought on.  
  
*AHMOSE REPLAY MODE*  
  
"Your time is up, Your Highness. Have you decided what to do?" a Shadow Gamer called Osona asked, coming up beside the young queen.  
  
Kiara didn't move for a moment, then she stood up and looked at Osona, Taidu, Himoko, Ay, and Ahmose, all of whom were awaiting her decision.  
  
"We will go to Ryúnade," she said slowly, "not for war, but to discover the truth. We should - no, we MUST know the truth of the Shadow Powers. It is essential that we make the covenant to fix the balance in Ryúnade. We will have to fight, but we are ready. We cannot back down like - like - scared little puppy dogs in front of Hiroshi and Suzuka.  
  
"We do not want war, but in order to win, we must fight. Our people, and possibly the whole world, depend on us. We cannot let them down." She hesitated a moment, and looked at Taidu. "Have I made the right decision?"  
  
"You're getting wiser," Taidu replied with a smile. She patted Kiara on the head and motioned to the others to follow her out of the room. Only Kiara and Ahmose remained.  
  
Kiara at first didn't seem to acknowledge Ahmose's presence. Suddenly she shifted her cherry blossom gaze and looked straight into his sky blue eyes. "Ahmose..." she whispered. "I'm so worried. I'm trying to make the decisions my brother would if he were here, and I know he'd want to continue to Ryúnade... yet... I am afraid that if we go to war, we will lose too many innocent lives. I'm not as sure of myself as Taidu believes I am."  
  
"I think your decision is the right one, Queen Kiara," Ahmose answered. "You must have faith in your people. We will only be able to win if you believe in us. And you are right, we must go on to Ryúnade."  
  
"Ahmose, if I do not come out of this battle alive and you do, please... please finish the journey to Ryúnade and make the covenant over my body," Kiara begged, eyes glistening with tears. "My spirit will live as long as my Millennium Item exists. All that is needed to complete the covenant is a single soul, which I can easily give if my body is too weak to go on. And then... give my pendant to my brother as a reminder that I will always be with him, even in death we shall not be parted."  
  
Ahmose kneeled in front of her and took her hands. "I will do as you ask, my queen," he replied earnestly. "But I assure you, you shall come out of this battle alive. I shall die before I let your life end. You are ever so much younger than me, yet you are so wise. You will make a great queen for our nation. You heart MUST go on. I will protect you to the death and beyond."  
  
"Ahmose... thank you."  
  
*AHMOSE REPLAY MODE END*  
  
Ahmose was still beating himself up because he had been unable to fulfill part of his vow. He had come out of the battle unscathed, but Kiara's life had ended there and then, and though his friends tried to convince him he hadn't done anything wrong, he couldn't help believing he had broken his word... to a trusting friend.  
  
He loved his king and queen more than anything. He respected and honored them even though they were so much younger than he. He never wanted to break their friendship; he wanted to protect them through eternity.  
  
Ahmose was sitting on deck as he reminisced on the past, a sincere frown on his lips. Now was the time he could fulfill his wish. The pharaoh and his sister were now right in his grasp and he would hold on to them as long as possible. This time, THEY would come out unscathed. He would NOT make the same mistakes.  
  
Ahmose's eyes burned with fire and passion as he dreamed of his destiny. He was, after all, a warrior at heart.  
  
(A/N: grrr... this is already 9 pages long and we're not even half-way done!!! Sorry, peeps, that this is so long. -_-' Heh heh! Now I'm listening to A*Teens: Pop till you Drop which White Rider/Truth Holder so kindly leant me.)  
  
"AARRRGGGHH! STOP THINKING ABOUT ZHUR!" someone shouted, jolting Ahmose back to the present. "OW!"  
  
Ahmose knew that voice anywhere. It belonged to his beloved pharaoh. Ahmose got up from his seat and looked around, scanning the area for Yami. He finally found him leaning over the edge of the boat, taking slow, deep breaths as if trying to calm himself.  
  
The warrior gazed at the small man in front of him. He had the most beautiful eyes, he observed. They were like to great rubies shining in the darkness, glittering like gems.  
  
(A/N: no.... no shounen ai!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just really warm friendship. o.O)  
  
After a moment's pause, Ahmose reached out his hand and laid it gently on Yami's shoulder. The former pharaoh stiffened, then his body relaxed and he closed his eyes. Ahmose knew this look all too well - Yami was suffering like the rest of them, possibly more so because his weight was heavier. All he wanted was a rest...  
  
He didn't even hesitate to put his arms around his friend, thinking of old times when warrior and pharaoh would spend nights planning out the next day, and whenever Yami began to nod off over his work, Ahmose knew it was time to quit and he would help Yami get his troubles off his mind by holding him close until he drifted to sleep. Something about the warm way Ahmose held people calmed them and helped them forget their worries. Yami found this happening to him now.  
  
(A/N: "Wise men say only fools rush in... but I can't help falling in love with you..." La di da!!! Readers: SHUT UP!!! THAT'S THE THIRD NOTE IN LESS THAN TEN PARAGRAPHS! WRITE THE STORY FOR GOODNESS' SAKE!)  
  
How long it had been since he had been held? Yami wondered. Probably five thousand years. Nowadays he usually did the holding, comforting his young hikari when something troubled him. He himself was comforted by the serene smile playing on Yugi's lips at these times; all the same, Ahmose's touch seemed to be the cure for the longing his body had been feeling lately. He gave a shuddering sigh, prayed to Ra that Kaiba wasn't watching, and let himself fall asleep in the warrior's arms.  
  
(A/N: "Now we're only hi and good-bye-" Readers: SHUT IT!!! Me: Heh heh...)  
  
Ahmose played lovingly with some of his beloved pharaoh's hair. Yami had fallen into a content sleep in his strong arms. It was just like old times...  
  
  
Angel: That was part one! ::grumbles:: I can't believe I have to do this is parts... stupid ff.net "double-space everything" policy...  
  
Kaiba: I know exactly how you feel. Computer software is rubbish.  
  
Misaki: Come now, you don't mean that.  
  
Kaiba: Suuuuuure I don't...  
  
From the Desk of Seto Kaiba:  
  
Douka shita no - what's wrong?  
daijobu des - I am all right  
onegai - please  
hai - yes  
itai - hurts  
bakamono - stupid person  
gomen - sorry  
Taweret - Egyptian goddess of mothers and babies  
fellah - Egyptian for "peasant," plural: fellahin  
Ra - Egyptian God of the Sun (if you don't know this you need to pay more attention in social studies)  
wau - wow  
Ryúnade - I made this name up for the place where the creatures from Duel Monsters abide. I didn't like the whole Shadow Realm thing, ya know... pron. ree-OO-nuh-day  
  
CHARACTER OF THE DAY:  
  
Today's Character of the Day is Ahmose the Warrior of Egypt, age 5000 and something. Ahmose is the spirit sealed inside of the Millennium Sword belonging to Takehiko Midori. Ahmose can create fire with his hands and shoot fiery arrows. In Egypt he and two others, Jono and Tyren (bet'cha know who the first is at least, they come in much later on), were close friends of the pharaoh. Ahmose, being the oldest, was especially protective of him and the princess. His overprotectiveness lasted to the death and beyond, just as he promised. Now that Ahmose is reunited with his pharaoh and queen, what extent will he go to be sure they make the journey "unscathed?"  
  
Ahmose's main trait is his courage and his heart of gold. He gives of himself selflessly and loves his friends dearly. Just as he is willing to give his life for his pharaoh, he will also sacrifice himself for his hikari, Takehiko. Although he seems to be the mature type, when he gets comfortable around someone he can be very playful and even mischievous. He is skilled in battle and a bit quick-tempered but his reasons for violence are always righteous and brave. He never had a lover and doesn't intend to get one. Maybe this is for the best, for his attention is most needed on the battlefield during our great adventure.  
  
Next time: Chapter Six Part Two, Chuukin Omoide! Go read, go read! 


	7. Chuukin Omoide - Part Two

Angel: Well, here's part two. Hope you like it. I don't have much else to say.  
  
The YGO Gang: WAU! SHE WROTE A SHORT AUTHOR'S NOTE!  
  
Angel: Ok, ok! I get it already!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh but I do own Ahmose, Setsuna, Kiara, Rachel Lampa (kidding)... etc.  
  
" " - talking  
  
' ' - thinking  
  
/ - Any Hikari talking to his or her Yami in his or her mind  
  
// - Any Yami talking to his or her Hikari in his or her mind  
  
Hikari No Yuugi  
Play of Light  
  
by Angel  
  
Chapter Six Part Two: Chuukin Omoide  
Casting Memories  
  
Kaiba, Mokuba, Ro, Makimura, and the hikaris were hanging out in the kitchen of the boat, having "fun" making dinner - or, at least, attempting to.  
  
"Takehiko!" Dajan whined. "You're not doing it right! You don't cut meat in triangles like that to make sandwiches, you do it in straight lines!"  
  
"If you're so clever, YOU do it then!" Takehiko yelled, throwing down the knife and wiping his hands on his apron. Grumbling, he joined Misaki and Tali, who were putting butter and mayonnaise on bread.  
  
Bakura chuckled. It didn't really matter to him if his meat was cut in triangles or squares, just as long as he had something in his stomach. He looked out the window. The sky was darkening with great black clouds. He could still see blue sky farther out to sea.  
  
Wait a moment. Houston, we have a problem.  
  
Those clouds... they seemed to be trailing the boat, as if pulled by a magnetic force. He heard a rumble of thunder and grimaced. Something was not right.  
  
"Yugi? Oi Yugi-kun, are you okay?" Hikaru called. Bakura blushed ever so slightly at the sound of her sweet voice and turned to see why she was asking Yugi if he was all right.  
  
Yugi, who had been loading his sandwich with tomatoes and lettuce, was now bent over the table, a brilliant smile of his face. Takehiko too, Bakura noted, seemed head-over-heels happy for some reason.  
  
"Yugi-chan? Are you in there? Earth to Yugi!" Hikaru chimed again.  
  
Yugi's violet eyes opened. "Yami is gone from my mind," he said softly. "It's like he's unconscious or asleep or something... but I know nothing's wrong because he's so happy that it's reflecting into me..."  
  
"Same here," Takehiko said with a large grin replacing the scowl he had been wearing when Dajan scolded him for cutting the meat wrong. "Ahmose is awake but all he's saying is 'Uh-huh... everything's wonderful... this is so right...'"  
  
Hikaru closed her eyes and seemed to zone out on the rest of the group. It was obvious she was speaking to her own yami.  
  
/Yo, Kiara?/  
//Yes, my light?//  
/D'you know what Yami and Ahmose are up to?/  
Giggles from Kiara's end. //Oh, they're all right. Tell Yugi and Takehiko not to worry. Everything's fine on deck.//  
/That's good to know, but Takehiko and Yugi, I think, already know that Yami and Ahmose are all right. I mean, they're practically immobile from ecstasy./  
Kiara laughed and closed the link.  
  
Bakura smiled at his friends who were now on the floor laughing and joking about what situation Yami and Ahmose could possibly be in that would cause such an uproar. Then his conscience chastised him and urged him to ask Kerihk about those storm clouds.  
  
/Kerihk, what is it with those storm clouds? Don't you think you and the other yamis ought to come inside before it pours?/  
//...//  
/Kerihk?/  
//...//  
/ANSWER ME! ONEGAI!/  
//OK! No need to shout, baka! ... But I think it's you guys who should get out here, make sure you get Taidu and Ay out of the steering area... Ay knows a lot about the sea, he might know something about the danger of these storms, but I think Taidu will be more needed out here. Man, what a great time for the Pharaoh to fall asleep... fat lot of good that'll do...//  
/Nan desu ka? Daijobu desu ka?/  
//Daijobu desu! Now get going!//  
  
Bakura's heart thumped in his chest in fear. He turned to his friends. "I just talked to Kerihk," he said breathlessly. "He needs us to get out there, with Ay and Taidu... something about the storm being dangerous. He says Yami's asleep too, so we need you up there, Yugi-chan."  
  
The other hikaris stared at him for a split second; then they nodded and darted off in different directions, some heading for the upper deck, Misaki and Kaiba heading for the steering area (a/n: sue me, I don't know any boat terms at all) to get Taidu and Ay - that is, after Kaiba and Ro made Mokuba and Makimura promise not to come outside.  
  
(A/N: "I stand in the light of faith... I thank you in so many ways... ... and I'm getting closer to perfection cause of you!" Thank you, thank you! Readers: Encore! Encore! Bravo! NOW GET ON WITH IT! Me: And for my next number - Readers: ARRRGGGHHH!)  
  
Yugi ran up to the deck. The harsh wind howled and blew his hair aggressively every which way. The black clouds blocked out any light from the sun. Soon the rain would come down. He followed the other hikaris as they joined Kerihk to find out what the heck was wrong.  
  
Hardly a minute passed between thunder and lightning when Taidu, Ay, Kaiba, and Misaki emerged from the steering room. They had crossed paths half-way down the corridor because Taidu had sensed something was up.  
  
"What's going on?" Kaiba asked over the wind, pulling his coat tighter around his body for warmth.  
"We're not sure yet," Kerihk yelled back, glancing up at the sky. "But it's not good."  
"It's just a storm, right?" Ai inquired worriedly. "N-nothing to worry about, right?"  
No reply from Bakura's yami, which just made the group even more nervous (a/n: hence Kiara's phrase from last chapter: "Beware the silence of a white-haired man; it may be a sign that darkness is at hand." LOL!).  
  
Lightning flashed and thunder rolled. Taidu joined Kerihk in glaring at the gray-black ether. The clouds were large and ominous, yet something was... almost familiar about them.  
  
"Where is the Pharaoh?" she asked of Kerihk.  
"With Ahmose, asleep by the cargo entry," Kerihk answered, "but why -"  
  
Taidu dashed off to find Yami and Ahmose, ignoring the bewildered look on her hikari's face. Tali shook her head, her wavy auburn hair blowing in the wind. She said to Misaki, "I wish someone would just give me a straight answer for once." Misaki agreed.  
  
Ro turned to Kaiba. "Seto, I think we should take the sails," he advised. Kaiba nodded and called out for super-strong Setsuna to help out. The three of them and Kerihk went off together, leaving the hikaris and Ay alone.  
  
They weren't alone for very long. In the blink of an eye, Taidu returned with Ahmose and Yami just as the rain began to drizzle on the kids. Although he had been asleep, Yami was now alert and ready for action. You couldn't tell he had been tired in the least.  
  
Taidu pointed to something in the air and the other two looked up with her. "Does it remind you of her?" she asked, obviously continuing a conversation they had begun before.  
  
Yami wiped raindrops off his face. "You're right," he answered gravely. "It does look just like her storm clouds. I sensed someone's aura just before the storm started; it may have been hers. Let's ask Kiara, she's the expert."  
  
"There's no time," Ay interrupted, joining them. "Who do you suppose caused this? Is it who I think it is?"  
  
"That depends, who do you think it is?" Ahmose hissed as the rain began to come down harder. He'd always hated water... that was why his power was fire.  
  
Taidu's dark brown eyes narrowed. "Iakara."  
The four yamis exchanged a dark look.  
"Iakara?" Tali asked, rushing up through the rain to Taidu's side. "Who is Iakara, pray tell?"  
"One of Pegasus's gamers," Taidu answered. "She has power over storms."  
Gasps all around. "Well, that isn't good," Yugi gulped.  
  
The rain was really pouring now. Himoko and Kiara had joined Kaiba, Ro, Kerihk, and Setsuna as they took in the sails. The storm raged all around them, knocking the boat back and forth. Now it was the hikaris turn to feel sick.  
  
A gigantic wave crashed against the boat. Kaiba let out a yell when some of the supplies fell overboard. Ro dashed off to tell the others.  
  
"Guys, we need to hold our ground!" he cried when he found the hikaris and the four yamis. "The rations are falling over the side! C'mon, let's get going!"  
  
"Right!" the others answered.  
  
Dajan was just about to follow them when he realized Takehiko had stayed behind. "Hey Tak, you okay?" he asked, wincing when the thunder boomed above.  
  
Takehiko couldn't answer. Dajan realized his cousin was really seasick. The biggest difference between Dajan and Takehiko was his love of the sea and Takehiko's hatred of it. Dajan called out for Ahmose and Ay.  
  
"I need help over here!" he shouted. "Takehiko's gotten so seasick, he's got cramps! He can't stay out here!"  
  
In a flash Ahmose and Ay had returned and helped the invalid to his feet. "C'mon, now," Ahmose said soothingly, though he didn't like the storm to much either. "Try to think of something else."  
  
But all Takehiko could think of was the wind and the bouncing boat, and the churning, sick feeling in his stomach...  
  
Uh-oh.  
  
In an adrenaline rush Takehiko pulled out of the other three's grip and darted to the side of the boat to vomit.  
  
It really was bad timing to be sick. A humongous wave came crashing down on the boat at that very instant. The last thing Takehiko heard was Yami's call of "BRACE YOURSELVES!" before he found himself falling into the sea. He emerged coughing and sputtering, finally managing to shout, "HELP! I STINK AT SWIMMING! HELLLPPP!"  
  
"Oh no!" Dajan cried in dismay. "Takehiko overboard! He can barely swim in our eight-feet-deep pool, let alone the sea in a storm!"  
  
"Iakara!" screamed Taidu, her voice echoing through the air. "Show yourself!"  
  
The next sound of thunder seemed like a laugh of "Yeah, right!" coming from Iakara.  
  
Hikaru and Kiara had fallen against each other when the wave forced them to hit the side of the boat. With Kiara (who had taken most of the impact) in a bit of a daze and Hikaru in a jumpy, fearful mood, Hikaru stood up to see where Takehiko was in the water. "TAKEHIKO!" she shrieked when she saw his blond head bobbing up and down in the waves. Forgetting where she was and everything else, Hikaru clambered onto the edge of the boat and dove into the sea.  
  
Just as Hikaru jumped, Kiara's world stopped spinning. "Hikaru, aibyou, no!" she cried, trying to grab the girl. It was too late. Hikaru went plummeting into the waters.  
  
"HIKARU!" Yugi yelled in shock.  
"I'll go get a rope!" Bakura shouted to the others. "Hold on, guys!"  
  
The female yamis were huddled into a bunch, trying to keep Kiara from jumping in the water herself. All Setsuna could think was, "If Yugi jumps in, Yami will too, and then we're done for."  
  
Yugi watched as Hikaru swam towards Takehiko and attempted to hold him above the water. She was a good swimmer, but not good enough to fight that storm. Someone had to help her!  
  
Suddenly Hikaru and Takehiko both disappeared under the water. Yugi cried out and dove in the water himself.  
  
Boy, was Setsuna ever right about Yami's reaction! The former pharaoh had been helping Bakura haul the long rope on deck when he heard Yugi's cry. Still carrying his end of the rope, Yami ran on deck shouting for him to stop.  
  
He too was too late. Yugi sailed through the water and grabbed Hikaru's hand, yanking her up to get air. Yugi could tell Hikaru wasn't strong enough to hold Takehiko alone; after all, he was much taller than either of the two sea-shrimps. He grabbed Takehiko's other arm and all three worked to stay where they could breathe even though huge waves kept toppling on them, drenching them more every time. Their shoes were filling with water... if only they could kick them off they might be able to stay up easier...  
  
Hikaru sank back under for a split second. This time Takehiko was able to pull her back out. "Oh, Kiki!" he said, using his special nickname for her. "Trouble follows you like bees!"  
  
"And seasickness follows you like hornets," Hikaru retorted.  
  
"Yugi!" shouted Yami. "Hold on down there, we've got the rope!" He and Bakura tossed it over the side and Yami tied the other end to the nearest pole.  
  
Bakura tried to fling the rope closer to the fallen three. "C'MON!" he shouted about the warring wind and rain. "GRAB HOLD!"  
  
"You first, Takehiko," Yugi said once he reached the rope. Takehiko took it gratefully and began climbing up.  
  
Another wave came upon the distressed ship, one more gigantic than the rest. Bakura didn't notice it in time and when its impact took effect, he too was tossed over the side.  
  
"Bakura! You too?" Yugi said in grave surprise when Bakura joined them in the sea."H-hi there, guys!" Bakura laughed nervously.  
"I don't see what's so funny," Hikaru grumbled. "We're being driven away from the rope!"  
  
It was true. Takehiko had managed to keep hold of the rope but the others hadn't been so lucky as they drifted further off to sea.  
  
"This can't get any worse!" Kerihk cried as he watched his hikari fight against the storm.  
"Yes it can," Ay corrected. "Say that lightning strikes now. What then? They'll be goners!"  
"Thanks for the comfort," Kerihk murmured.  
  
Ahmose had been helping Takehiko back on the boat. Now that his hikari was safe, he could look elsewhere for a way to save the other three... He gasped when he caught Yami in his sight. Fire burned in the great pharaoh's eyes. He hadn't tried it yet, but if Ahmose didn't hurry he'd fling himself into the sea as well.  
  
"OH, NO YOU DON'T!" Ahmose cried, grabbing Yami by the arms and pulling him to the ground. They landed hard on the deck and hit their heads, but even so Yami continued to struggle and Ahmose tightened his grip.  
  
Yugi could hardly see with the rain and the waves blocking his field of vision. He could hear Bakura still shouting "HELP! WE'RE STILL OUT HERE, YOU KNOW!" and Hikaru nearby crying and coughing. They had to get out of the water before the lightning struck!  
  
Bakura closed his eyes. There was no point in keeping them open now - it just made things worse. "Everybody hold hands!" he cried, feeling for his friends' drenched hands. He found Hikaru's quickly enough and she yelled that she had Yugi's, so at least they were all together now. He opened his eyes to see just how close they were to each other, then closed them again and turned his head the other direction. Something compelled him to open his eyes and look directly at the area his head was turned, through the rain and waves. To his astonishment, there was stretch of land just there, with a cave nearby!  
  
"There's land over there!" Bakura shouted. "Come on! We've gotta swim to it, it's our only chance! And don't let go of each other's hands!"  
  
A nod from Yugi and a sob from Hikaru were all he received in reply. They kicked their legs as hard as they could though their energy was almost spent. Even when another wave separated them from one another, they still pressed on.  
  
'We're almost there,' Hikaru kept telling herself. 'Just a little further... we'll be fine, we'll be okay... we're almost there...'  
  
Bakura reached the land first. He grabbed hold of the nearest rock outcropping and clambered on the land. He didn't waste time trying to catch his breath; instead he reached out his hand and instructed, "Climb up here, you two! Give me your hand, Hikaru!"  
  
Hikaru reached out to grab Bakura's hand. She couldn't quite reach and had to painfully hold on to his middle and index fingers with one hand. The water sprayed her face, but Bakura quickly threw out his other hand and managed to pull her in.  
  
It had been a while since the last lightning had appeared. It was probably nearly time for another bolt to strike... Desperately Bakura scanned the area for Yugi. He finally spotted him clinging for dear life to another rock sticking out from the mysterious land mass.  
  
"Stay here, Hikaru," Bakura said to the sobbing, shivering girl by his side. He then darted around the rocks to reach Yugi, who was trying to pull himself out the water.  
  
And then...  
  
... the lightning struck.  
  
  
"Yugi... wake up... please wake up," Hikaru begged, staring at the limp form of Yugi Muto lying in the cave beside her. After Yugi was electrocuted by the lightning, Bakura had snatched him out of the water and dragged him into the cave followed by Hikaru. They had made a fire and were now taking off their soaked clothes. (A/N: *cough cough* They left their pants on and Hikaru left her sleeveless-shirt on - she had a pink jacket on top of it). Bakura placed his, Hikaru's, and Yugi's clothes by the fire to dry. He wished he had some marshmallows as he heard his stomach growling.  
  
Hikaru looked down at the small boy just her size. He had risked everything to save her... "Please be all right, Yugi," she whispered gently, planting a small kiss on his forehead.  
  
(A/N: "When you turn around... all the tears will dry... whatever was lost will be found... in the blink of an eye!" *smiles sheepishly* It's been a while... *gulp* we are now at sixteen pages... hope I'm not boring you to death...)  
  
Bakura's heart sank when he saw Hikaru do this. He had trouble admitting it even to himself, but he had quite a big crush on the petite, brown-haired beauty, but he had no idea how she felt about him. It was too easy for anyone to fall in love with Hikaru because she could make just about anybody think she was in love with them. It was just her nature. Bakura didn't think the girl knew HOW to hate.  
  
(A/N: Darnit. I just dropped water on my laptop... I've been writing since one p.m. with one half hour break for lunch and chores and now it's 5:40 and I'm on my fifth glass of water and I'm starting to get finger cramps.)  
  
Hikaru shivered and moved closer to the fire. It was still storming outside. She wondered if Kiara and the others were all right. The storm broke any connections between the hikaris and their yamis so they couldn't even give their rescuers directions to their cave.  
  
She sighed. It would be a long night.  
  
***  
  
The yamis, the remaining hikaris, Kaiba, Mokuba, Ro, and Makimura sat around the table in the shelter of the boat. The storm had lessened, but it was still raining really hard outside, and though the lightning was less frequent, it was still there.  
  
"What are we going to do?" asked Misaki.  
"Hikaru, Yugi, and Bakura could be miles away by now," Dajan added. "They might... not even be alive anymore..."  
  
It was a dark and gloomy prospect, but it seemed very likely. The most probable solution would be they drowned.  
  
"They might have washed to one of the small rock islands near the main areas of Duelist Kingdom," Ro said hopefully.  
  
Kaiba shook his head. "If they made it without getting electrocuted, it would be a miracle. They disappeared from our sight within five minutes of that lightning, so obviously they had less than five minutes to get ashore."  
  
"But there is still a possibility they DID make it," Kiara put in breathlessly. "I didn't go into Hikaru's soul room itself - our connection was cut off by Iakara. But I DID go into the - um - the Hall of Colors and I know she's alive because the hall way was a greenish-yellow color, not black."  
  
Nobody but the hikaris and yamis understood what Kiara was talking about, but they accepted it without comment. (A/N: If you can't remember about the "Hall of Colors" and don't want to accept it without comment, then go read chapter three again when Yami and Ahmose decide to take Takehiko and Yugi to the nurse. Yugi talks about his soul room and this area is mentioned after the line "Yep, he was pretty set if he ever needed to let Yami have total control for a while." One more thing - I'm on glass number six now. Man, is it hot!)  
  
"How COULD they make it, though?" Tali asked. "It doesn't make any sense!"  
Ai pulled her sopping air back in a high ponytail, Setsuna following the suit with a low one. "C'est la vie," Ai replied, seating Makimura on her lap and playing with her hair.  
"Har har."  
  
Yami had been extremely quiet ever since Yugi's disappearance. He was trying to think of ways to help the kids, but when he had entered his own "Hall of Colors" as Kiara put it, though it hadn't been black, it had been rainbow-colored, indicating that Yugi was unconscious, which worried Yami greatly.  
  
Suddenly Kerihk slapped himself. "Of course! What an idiot I am! I know how we can find them!"  
  
Everyone stared at him. Kerihk took this as a plead to continue.  
  
"Well, Bakura and I have the Millennium Ring, right?" he asked rhetorically. "One of its uses is tracking other Millennium Items. If we get in range of where we last saw them, maybe the Ring will respond to Bakura and the other two because of their Millennium Items."  
  
Kiara squealed and flung herself around a very startled Kerihk, speaking praises in Egyptian that made the other yamis smile. Yami actually smiled and said it was a great idea.  
  
"It will take us off-course," Ay said, "but it's worth it to save those three kids. I'm getting kind of fond of them." Dajan giggled.  
  
Kerihk, Yami, and Kiara went on deck to see when the Ring would light up. Ay and Taidu went back to the steering room to bring the ship back near where they lost the hikaris.  
  
Setsuna watched them go, her gaze trailing Yami in particular. Kiara was speaking soothing words to him in Egyptian, reassuring him that everything would be all right. He responded also in his native tongue by saying something that caused Kiara to laugh outright. Well, at least he wasn't totally depressed anymore, but what would he do if they couldn't find Yugi?  
  
Kerihk told them to hurry up and Kiara dashed up the stairs, still laughing. Yami followed, his golden bangs blowing from the force of the wind when Kerihk opened the hatch. Man, he looked hot...  
  
"Setsuna?" Setsuna jumped at the sound of Himoko's voice and cocked her head quizzically.  
  
Himoko had a mischievous smile on her face. "I asked you if you were worried," she said, repeating her question.  
  
"Huh? Oh, of course I'm worried," Setsuna covered, turning cherry red. "I sure hope they get back all right."  
  
"No, I meant about Yami. I asked you in you were worried about HIM."  
Setsuna's blush turned brighter. "Y-Yami? Oh... sure! Sure I am! I mean, I don't want him to go into depression or anything if we can't find Yugi... I mean..."  
  
Himoko began to giggle uncontrollably. "What?" Setsuna inquired, annoyed.  
"I think you're sweet on someone," Himoko whispered.  
Setsuna gave her a doubtful look but the blush remained on her coffee-colored face.  
"I think you've got a thing for Yami," Himoko tried again.  
"Wha?! I do not! I am SO out of here!"  
  
Setsuna jumped up from her chair and strode off to re-start preparing dinner. 'Me, have a thing for Yami? How ridiculous!' she thought haughtily. Still, a nagging voice in the back of mind thought Himoko may be right.  
  
Himoko stood up and stared after Setsuna, her raven-black hair framing a broad smile on her face. "Maybe you should tell him!" she shouted after the Hebrew Shadow Gamer. "I bet he feels the same for you, but he doesn't know how to say it! You've gotta claim him for yourself! C'mon, he's probably already yours, trust me!"  
  
Setsuna looked over her shoulder and shook her head. "Adonai, Adonai!" she gasped as if irritated. What no one heard but the rain and wind was her final joyful shout of "Praise the Lord!"  
  
***  
  
Yugi rolled mumbled something in his sleep. He could hear soft voices whispering around him. Slowly he opened his violet eyes and saw flames flickering besides him. As his vision cleared, he was able to make out Hikaru and Bakura talking by the fire. He sat up with a groan.  
  
Hikaru turned at the sound of his voice. "Yugi-chan!" she cried happily. "You're awake! I mean - you're alive!"  
"Y-yeah... so I am," Yugi replied, confused. "What happened?"  
"You were struck by lightning, mate," Bakura answered, an irritated note in his voice. "You're lucky to be alive. Any normal person would be killed by that lightning, but you've got the Millennium Puzzle and it helped you out. But seriously, Yugi! You could have been killed! THINK before you leap next time!"  
"That's right," Hikaru nodded.  
"What're you talking for, Hikaru? You jumped in too!"  
"At least I jumped in instead of FALLING in, Ryou-chan!"  
  
Yugi laughed at Bakura and Hikaru's good-natured squabble. Then something struck him - he was no longer in most of his clothes. "Um... guys?" he asked meekly, blushing somewhat. "What - er - where... are my clothes?"  
  
Hikaru turned red and a very self-conscious Bakura answered, "Well, uh, you were asleep but we had to get you out of those wet clothes or you might get pneumonia, so... Anyway your clothes are drying over there."  
  
Yugi stood up and nodded, crawling over to his shirt. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Duel Monsters deck, flipping through the cards. He gave a sigh of relief. "None of them are ruined," he said cheerfully, holding up his Dark Magician. "Just a little wet around the edges."  
  
The other two walked over to where Yugi was now sitting. Hikaru bent down to get a closer look at the card Yugi was holding. "Is the Dark Magician your favorite card?"  
  
"Yes," Yugi replied. "Yami and I both love it and use it a lot."  
"Kiara's favorite card is Dark Magician Girl," Hikaru said with a smile. "Figures since she's Yami's little sister."  
Yugi looked at her, wide-eyed. "Isn't Dark Magician Girl your favorite card, too?"  
Hikaru shook her head. "No... although I play it a lot. I guess you could say it's my favorite monster card, but my all-time favorite is... this." She pulled out a thin plastic card holder which had been pinned to the inside of her shirt. The card inside the see-through plastic was Change of Heart.  
  
"Hey!" Bakura exclaimed. "That's Kerihk's and my favorite card!"  
"Really?" Hikaru said in surprise. "That's so cool! We have the same favorite card!"  
"It sure is," Bakura grinned warmly.  
  
Yugi looked at the ground. 'Darnit,' he thought. 'One more reason for her to like Bakura better than me. I hate being jealous!'  
  
"Yugi, did you hear me?" asked Hikaru.  
"Huh? Nan - gomen nasai, nandatta?"  
"I asked you why the Dark Magician is your favorite card."  
  
Yugi thought for a moment. "I guess... because it reminds me of my grandfather. He put his heart into creating this deck, and when he gave it to me I could feel his heart in the cards. Dark Magician was always really special to me because sometimes I really felt like he could understand me." He laughed. "I know, it's weird, thinking a card could understand you, but I can't help it. I wonder if I'm losing it?"  
  
Bakura smiled. "Change of Heart is my favorite because... of a lot of things. It kind of like me and Kerihk, one half light, the other half dark. It's like a yin-yang, it represents the balance of the world. You know... dark and light must be equal or the balance will come off kilter. Wherever there is light, darkness is nearby. You can never have one without the other. So I suppose it just makes me feel better when I feel like the world's turned its back on me. Bad times will come to an end, they just have to, like a circle..." His voice trailed off.  
  
The other two stared at him as he gazed at the still falling rain outside the cave. They had had no idea Bakura was such a deep person. Hikaru looked at him in wonder, following the trail of his deep amber eyes. 'He has such beautiful eyes,' she thought. 'Beautiful but sad... they sort of scare me at times. He looks like he's been hurt in the past but tries to remain cheerful in spite of it. He's doing a good job of it too, but he can't fool me... it's MY job to figure these things out. Now, Yugi's another matter. He always seems so happy, but when he has to be serious he will be. Not like Takehiko who can't sit still to save his life. They're both so kind and caring...' Hikaru's lavender eyes widened when she realized what she was thinking. 'Yare! I don't believe this... I can't believe I have feelings for both of them! I've always promised myself I'd be loyal to one person who would wait for me... but now I have these two guys and until I figure out which one of them I love, I'm stuck... but what am I worrying for? I've saved myself. I haven't had my first kiss yet, and when I do, it will be the most wonderful, pure thing I've ever felt... because I'll be in love.'  
  
Bakura tore his eyes away from the rain and wondered why Hikaru was looking so shamed and distant. "Douka shita no, Hikaru-chan?" he asked.  
  
"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine, Ryou-chan," Hikaru said with a small smile. "Lessee... why is Change of Heart my favorite card? (A/N: cuz it's the authoress' favorite too.) You see, when I was just ending eighth grade, I had already been playing Duel Monsters for a while and I was supposedly the best duelist in Tôru." She laughed. "You know how biased people can be! Anyway, school was out for the summer and my friends - meaning Naoko, Tetsuya, and Ryoku - saw an advertisement for a Duel Monsters Tournament in Kyoto City - Walk-ins Welcome. Naturally we didn't think we could go because we were all the way in Okinawa - how were we supposed to get to Kyoto? Then, by some miracle, I won a trip for four to Kyoto in a drawing at a store. I was looking forward to participating in the tournament, but at the same time, I was so nervous. Every time I thought of the tournament I felt sick. My older brother Keikeru noticed this and on the day I was supposed to get on the plane, he slipped Change of Heart into my hand. He told me to keep it as a present from him. I told him I couldn't, that had been his first ever card, but he insisted I should have it. 'And when you play it you can think of me,' he told me. 'It represents to halves of the circle, Hikaru. Just imagine that one half is me and the other half is you, and I'll be dueling right along with you.' I won the Kyoto Tournament with that card and then I didn't use it again until I dueled Pegasus because of what it meant to me. I thought I should keep it safe, especially when Pegasus kidnapped Keikeru. It hit me when Pegasus and I were starting our duel - Keikeru gave me the card so we could be together even when we were in different dimensions. So I played it, and even though Pegasus and I were unable to finish our duel, I was still leading when we were interrupted."  
  
She smiled though her eyes glistened with tears. "Keikeru is my brother by adoption. Both my parents died when I was a baby, so I can't remember them at all. I spent seven years in an orphanage until Takashi Katsura came to adopt me... when I met Keikeru. So we're not relatives by blood... but we love each other like we were. Siblings by heart, that's what really counts. That's why I love this card, because I love the person who gave it to me. I miss him so much." She began to sob quietly.  
  
Yugi and Bakura didn't know what to do at first. "That's beautiful, Hikaru-chan," Yugi said softly. "I know a little how you feel. When my parents died, I felt alone too. I was lucky my grandfather was still alive or I would have been in an orphanage too."  
  
(A/N: I have recently discovered that Yugi's mother is alive, at least in the show, and she just works far from home and isn't home much. But that would sort of mess up the concept of this story so both of his parents are dead in this, okie-dokie? "Like a river flows... to the sea... so it goes... some things are meant to be...")  
  
Bakura blew some hair out of his face. "I can relate, too," he spoke softly. "I guess everyone has someone they love. Even Pegasus loves Cyndia. For me, it was my little sister."  
  
Yugi gasped. That picture in Bakura's room! The girl with Bakura must have been his little sister! But Yugi had never seen her around the house, why was that?  
  
"I grew up in Australia," Bakura continued. "This was before my dad inherited all that money. Back then it was just me, my parents, and my little sister, Juri. She was only a year younger than me but we could have passed for twins. When I was about nine years old, my mother passed away because of cancer. I promised Juri we'd always stay together even when Dad started working constantly because of his grief." Tears filled his eyes. "But I couldn't keep that promise. Juri had been my best friend... the one person who loved me back after my mother's death... and then she too passed away. She needed a bone marrow transplant to live. I didn't have compatible marrow so I couldn't help her. Finally they found someone compatible but before they got to do the surgery... she passed away. I - I missed her more than I missed anyone else in my entire life.  
  
"I couldn't accept my little sister's death. I was in denial about it for a little while, I couldn't even cry for her. Finally I let the truth sink in and I was sure I'd flood the house with my tears." Bakura held up his wrist, displaying a purple bracelet clasped around it. JURI was written in gold lettering on the band. "This was Juri's bracelet. We found it at one of those craft stores. It wasn't really meant to be a name... it was created for its meaning, 'acceptance.' It was coincidence that 'acceptance' in Japanese is 'Juri.' So we bought it for her, and when she died I took it for myself to remind me of her. It's been many years but I guess I haven't achieved 'juri-ness' myself... I still haven't completely accepted her death. But honestly, I should be counting my blessings, right?"  
  
(A/N: WE ARE NEARING THE END OF CHAP 6! YES!)  
  
Yugi put an arm around him as he wiped away his tears. Hikaru leaned on his shoulder and took his hand. "It's okay, Ryou-chan," she whispered. "We'll be here for you. Right, Yugi?"  
  
"Of course," Yugi nodded.   
Bakura smiled. "Doumo arigatou, otomodachi. I'll be there for you guys, too."  
"Promise?"  
  
The two boys looked at Hikaru, who had her small pinkie finger sticking out. "Promise me. We'll always be there for each other."  
  
Yugi and Bakura smiled at each other and clasped their pinkies with Hikaru's. It was a done deal.  
  
"And that means," Hikaru went on with a sly smile, "that Yugi has to call Ryou-chan by his first name!"  
  
"N-nani?" Yugi gasped at Hikaru's sudden boldness. She giggled at the blush on Yugi's face. The small boy looked over at Bakura. "... Is that okay?"  
  
Bakura's face was pink, but he was smiling. After the death of his sister he had always introduced himself as "Bakura." The last person outside of his family to call him by his first name was Malik, and then Hikaru. He sighed.  
  
"Go ahead. I... I'd like that, really."  
"OK then... Ryou."  
  
They laughed in unison, feeling cheerful and light of heart. Maybe everything would be all right after all...  
  
Suddenly the thunder boomed loudly and the covered their ears. A few minutes later, the lightning flashed. It looked like the storm was starting up again.  
  
"C'mon," Bakura said, standing up. "Get back in your clothes. They're pretty dry now and it's bound to get cold now that the storm's begun again."  
  
The other two nodded and slipped into their still damp clothing. Yugi shivered slightly at the memory of the lightning which had previously struck him.  
  
"When will this storm let up?"  
"Probably when that 'Iakara' decides she's had her fun and takes pity on us," Bakura said bitterly.  
  
Hikaru watched the flames of the fire dance as she wrung the rest of the water out of her socks. 'It's so dark outside,' she thought to herself. 'I wonder -' /- when the sun will come out./  
  
//Hikaru?!// Kiara's voice echoed like a wind chime in Hikaru's head.  
/Kiara? Is that you?/ Hikaru asked excitedly.  
//Of course it is, silly! I've been trying to get in touch with you for hours! I guess we must be nearing the area where you are!//  
/What do you mean?/  
//Kerihk's using the Millennium Ring to track down your Millennium Items, and it's working! We must be getting close if we can use our mental link again; Iakara had cut it off!//  
/That's good news, right?/  
//Of course it's good news! Now tell me, love, where exactly are you?//  
/We're in a cave on an island. We made a fire. Yugi got struck by lightning but he's all right now, thanks to the Millennium Puzzle./  
//That's a relief. Now I can tell Yami to stop worrying.//  
/How's Takehiko-chan?/  
//Still sick, but he's doing better. He blames himself for your disappearances, though.//  
/Don't worry. We'll cheer him up when we get back./  
//Roger that, chief. Over and out.//  
/::giggles:: Over and out./  
  
Hikaru turned to the boys. "Guys! I just talked to Kiara. She says they're nearing our island, so we can communicate again! We're nearly rescued!"  
  
"YEAH!"  
  
Just then, a bolt of lightning struck the cave. The ground began to quake as rocks began to tumble down. The kids gasped in fear and hurried out of the way as the rocks buried the fire and reduced it to cinders.  
  
"We've got to get out of here!" Yugi shouted above the breaking rocks. "We'll be crushed if we don't! C'mon, get outside!"  
  
No one asked questions. The trio quickly stumbled through the rubble and dashed out of the way, getting drenched all over again in the pouring rain. The raindrops were like knives. The chilliness of each droplet stung their arms and numbed them to the toes. They could hardly move as the cave began to collapse.  
  
They each began to push against the cave, trying to make it fall the other way. It was their only chance!  
  
Hikaru's muscles gave way. In her fear her tears mixed with the rain and she let go, slipping in a puddle and falling backwards into the waters below. The thunder rumbled above. Any moment now the lightning would strike again.  
  
Bakura left his post to clutch Hikaru's hand before she was washed away. "DERRRRAUUUGHH!!!" he groaned as he tried to hang onto the rocks with one hand and keep himself and Hikaru out of the water. It was not working. He felt his grip weaken, and the next thing he knew, the rocks had crumbled under his palm and he was falling...  
  
Someone grabbed his arm to keep him from falling. Hikaru sobbed in his arms. After taking a quick look to see if she was all right, he looked up at the cracking cliff to see who had saved him.  
  
It was Yugi. Yugi Muto.  
  
Yugi's face tensed and he moaned in pain as he tried to keep Bakura and Hikaru above the water and stay on the cliff side himself. He winced as he pulled the muscle in his arm, but he wouldn't give up.  
  
"Yugi, don't!" Hikaru cried. "You'll fall in too if you keep this up, and then we'll all be goners!"  
  
"I know you believe in the whole 'power of the heart' thing, Yugi, but not even that can help us now!" Bakura pleaded with Yugi to let them go. "I don't want it to take you, too! The tide is too much for any of us!"  
  
Yugi shook his head, scared witless yet unwilling to surrender. "NO! I'll never let you go! We're a team! One for all and all for one! We've GOT to hold together, it's our DESTINY to be together! We can't do this alone! NO ONE should be alone! Remember our promise? We'll always be there for each other! I WON'T LET YOU DOWN!"  
  
Yugi closed his eyes, his brow furrowed in both hope and desperation. He silently prayed, 'I can't let anything happen to them. I've already lost too many friends. Jonouchi... Anzu... Honda... and the other three... We've just gotten to know each other! It can't end like this!  
  
'I don't want anyone to get hurt. I don't want any more suffering, or any more tears. But most of all... I WANT THE POWER TO HELP MY FRIENDS!"  
  
Bakura and Hikaru's eyes widened as Yugi's Millennium Puzzle began to glow with a bright yellow light, engulfing everything around them. It was so bright and the light hurt their eyes so they quickly squeezed them shut... Suddenly they were whisked out of the water just before the lightning struck. They found themselves safe on the ground.  
  
Bakura realized Yugi was still holding his arm, but the touch was different now. He opened his eyes and found Yugi staring, wide-eyed, at the bracers now clasped to his arms. They were golden, with a ruby gem in the center of the wrist and they glimmered with the light of the Puzzle.  
  
Hikaru, ironically, was the first to recover. "Yugi!" she exclaimed, running over to him. "That was amazing! What happened back there?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Yugi answered, still staring at the bracers. "I was wishing really hard for the power to save you guys, and then..." He shrugged as the bracers disappeared, their light returning to the safety of the Puzzle. "Huh? They're gone now..."  
  
Bakura hugged his friend. "Your wish for our safety was a selfless wish," he said mysteriously. Hikaru thought the voice didn't sound completely like his own. "That's why you were able to tap into the Power of the Wish."  
  
"Wha-" Yugi began, confused, but Bakura had released him and was staring out to sea, back to normal. The rain was suddenly clearing up, another consequence of the Puzzle's power. He cupped his hand over his eyes to shade them in the sudden sunlight, smiling as its warm rays strengthened his numbed limbs.  
  
"Look!" he gasped, pointing to an object coming their way. Hikaru and Yugi shrieked in delight when they realized the object was none other than their own ship, the "St. Kaiba."  
  
***  
  
"Guys! You're alive!" Takehiko flung himself around the tallest of the three (Bakura) even though he was wetter than wet. "I'm so happy! And so sorry!"  
  
"It's... it's okay, Takehiko," Bakura replied, gasping for air. "No... really, you can let go now. We're fine."  
  
Bakura, Yugi, and Hikaru were back on the boat, having been rescued by Yami, Kerihk, and Kiara who had traveled out in a life boat to help them. The three yamis (even Kerihk) had been hysterical when they were finally reunited - not that the hikaris had been any different. Now, they were each snuggled in towels (except Bakura who was presently pinned to the floor by Takehiko) and being taken to the kitchen to warm up.  
  
Over hot cocoa and a dinner (at last) of cheese sandwiches, they explained their adventures in the cave to the rest of the group, leaving out most of their conversations, which they considered a secret between the three of them. The only thing Kiara found different was how Yugi always referred to Bakura as Ryou now, but Yami was more concerned with the power Yugi had discovered with his Millennium Puzzle.  
  
"You wished hard enough, and then the bracers just appeared?" he said, befuddled.  
  
"That's right," Yugi nodded. "Ryou said something about tapping the Power of the Wish. Didn't you, Ryou?"  
  
Bakura gave him an odd look and made no response.  
  
Kaiba sprang to his feet. "Well guys, it's been a long day. I say we turn in for the night. Ay and Taidu said they will take shifts trying to get the ship back on track, but the rest of us should go -"  
  
"- Catch some Z's," Mokuba finished, giggling at the annoyed glare his brother shot him.  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me," Hikaru said, happy to be among friends. "Let's get some shut-eye."  
  
Makimura was looking out the window, watching the sun go down. Now something caught the attention of her ten-year-old green eyes.  
  
"Hey, everybody! We're heading right for a huge land mass!" she exclaimed.  
  
"What? Who's driving this thing?" Ay and Taidu said together as they jumped to their feet. They exchanged a glance at the other's voice. "Uh-oh..."  
  
"EVERYBODY GET DOWN! HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!" Kaiba instructed loudly, grabbing Mokuba and preparing for impact. Ro and Makimura did the same, and everyone else grabbed the person nearest to them and ducked. Somehow Bakura, Hikaru, and Yugi managed to stay together but Kerihk found himself with one arm thrown over Yami, protecting the former pharaoh from the collision. What's more, it had been complete instinct, which only ticked off the tomb robber even more.  
  
They had just enough time to get into their positions when the boat crashed against the land, breaking into splinters. It was a loud, ear-splitting noise and many of the things in the kitchen came falling on top of the crew.  
  
Finally it ended. Shoving a chair off himself and Takehiko, Ahmose stood up and helped his hikari to his feet. "Is everyone all right?"  
  
Bakura groaned and rubbed his back; as the tallest of the three he had taken on more than the other two. Misaki and Tali nodded, Kiara and Himoko mumbled a "yes," rubbing their heads where the broken hot cocoa mugs had landed, and Kaiba and Ro stood up, both carrying their younger siblings to show they were all right. Ai was hanging on to Setsuna who was clutching her hikari like it were life or death. Taidu, Ay, and Dajan were squashed behind the table but that was quickly resolved when Setsuna (using her super-strength) tore it apart and let them out. Kerihk stood up, Yami supporting himself on Kerihk's shoulder. Quickly realizing what he was doing, the pharaoh immediately let go and both blushed.  
  
"Th-thanks," Yami said with a smile. "For - for helping me."  
Kerihk himself looked surprised at what he had done, but he seemed even more surprised when he heard himself answering, "No big deal. Are you okay?"  
"Fine." Yugi didn't think Yami's face could go any redder.  
  
Mokuba interrupted the awkward moment with a cry of, "Hey, we've landed! Boy, is it ever pretty! Isn't it pretty, Seto? Can we go see? Onegai?"  
  
"No harm in taking a look, I suppose," Taidu said, brushing herself off.  
  
Together the group trooped out of the ship and on the land. It really was beautiful. The trees were tall and green; the grass soft and lush with colorful flowers scattered everywhere. By the shore the ocean lay, big and blue and vast.  
  
While Ai took Mokuba and Makimura to scout out the area, Kaiba, Yami, Ay, and Ro stayed behind to check over the boat.  
  
"It's taken quite a lot of damage," Yami observed.  
"Damage? It's completely destroyed!" Kaiba kicked a splinter of wood on the ground. "One thousand dollars down the drain."  
"It got us to our destination, right?" Ay, the boat expert, couldn't find any way to disagree with the CEO so he pointed out the faithfulness of the vessel instead. "It was good while it lasted."  
"Just where are we, anyhow?" inquired Ro.  
  
That was a good question, and one that Kiara was willing to answer. She spread her angel-like wings and took off high into the air, scanning the area. A few minutes later the princess returned with news.  
  
"From what I could tell, we're still in Duelist Kingdom," she said as she landed and made her wings disappear. "We must have landed on a different island, though. That castle is huge but I couldn't see it anywhere when I flying. It was supposed to be within sight from the air where we were supposed to land."  
  
"That means we must have drifted towards the west of our determined stop," Yami said.  
  
"Great," Kaiba sighed as Misaki wandered towards the discouraged five. "We're stranded on an island far away from our 'vacation' spot with no way of returning. This is so great."  
  
"All I can say to you, Seto Kaiba, is..." Misaki took a deep breath, stared at the ground, and finished with a shrug...  
  
"Merry Christmas?"  
  
  
Angel: FINALLY I'M DONE! Wasn't that good? Huh? Huh? Wasn't it? It's 27 pages long! But that's just cuz it's double-spaced thanks to stupid ff.net rules. Oh, well. At least most .txt documents don't get their triple periods turned to single periods.  
  
Yugi: Eh?  
  
Angel: Never mind. Guess what? CardCaptor Sakura, Master of the Clow is out and it rocks! For those of you who don't know, that's the second series of the CCS manga. YUE IS SO KAWAII!!!   
  
Yami: I thought you liked ME!  
  
Angel (ignores Yami): I NEED FEEBACK! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!!!  
  
Yami Bakura: NO DON'T!!! SHE'S MAKING ME BE A SISSY!  
  
Angel: Cannit! Now YOU can do the translations, Yami B!  
  
Yami Bakura: ::scratches head:: Yami B?  
  
From the Desk of Yami Bakura, aka Kerihk:  
  
oi - hey  
baka - idiot  
nan desu ka - what is it?  
aibyou - pet  
kiki - crisis; also Takehiko's nickname for Hikaru! ^-^  
c'est la vie - "well, that's life, that's how it is" in French  
Adonai - Hebrew for "God"  
gomen nasai - I'm very sorry  
nandatta - what did you say?  
yare - oh! ah! oh dear! dear me! aah! thank God!  
doumo arigatou - thank you very much  
otomodachi - friends  
nani - what?  
  
CHARACTER OF THE DAY:  
  
Today's Character of the Day is Dajan Hada, age 15 (I wanted to do Yami but I'm finishing this up at 11:10 at night and my sisters are yelling at me to go asleep and I'm too tired to write anything good so I'm focusing on a minor character). Dajan is Takehiko Midori's cousin, and he loves the water. Naturally swimming in his favorite sport. His love of the sea is a consequence of his ocean-loving yami, the sailor Ay. Dajan bears the Millennium Key which can unlock any lock. He found the key in his uncle's desk and was allowed to keep it even when he went on the Duelist Kingdom journey to cheer Takehiko on.  
  
Dajan is relatively quiet and reserved in persona. He loves his cousin very much as they are like best friends. He isn't exactly a coward but he always thinks before he leaps and doesn't like going into danger for no plain reason. He likes cut-and-dry answers and doesn't appreciate mystery, being content with a pool and a tall glass of lemonade on a hot summer afternoon. Still, he's a great friend and will always come through for his friends if they need him. Undoubtably his Millennium Key will come in handy as we journey on.  
  
Next time: Chapter Seven, Yami Musouka (as told by Bakura): OK, don't you agree with me that all my dreams were weird? Well, I think they were. And now that we're on this strange island, they just get weirder as they come true! That's right, COME TRUE! We need help or we'll all die, and it's all my fault! I've got to stop this, but I can't do it alone! Wait a moment, who's the weird guy in black coming our way? Er, Yugi, I think we should get outta here... AHHH!!! *wakes up* Um... why am I on a Duel Monsters board? 


	8. Yami Musouka Part One

Angel: Chapter seven will be *relatively* short cuz I want to get this story moving and once Duel Monsters gets involved, then we know we've got something. I am still listening to A*Teens.  
  
Yugi (ears plugged): WHAT WAS THAT?!  
  
Angel: I SAID I'M STILL LISTENING TO A*TEENS!!!  
  
Yami: WE NOTICED!!!  
  
I have just been informed that the yamis and hikaris do not call each other "Yami" and "Hikar," rather they call them "mou hitori no boku/ore" which literally means "the other me." (Ore is a ruder form of boku, which means "me" - nearly everyone says ore except for Yugi and Bakura). I am not, however, going to change this for the story. And I am not going to correct their ages (I KNOW THEY SHOULD BE IN ELEVENTH GRADE BY NOW!!! I just prefer the age of 15).  
  
Disclaimer: I only own one thing: my yellow bucket hat (Kit's is blue). Kit asks me to ask you readers to read her latest fanfic, Got a Question? Kit has an Answer! She needs more reviews in order to start chap 2 (reason why explained in chap 1). So.... ONEGAI???  
  
I'm rereading some chapters to make sure I didn't mess anything up. I didn't, but I must apologize for all the typos. *sigh* You know how it is.  
  
Today's chapter is called Yami Musouka, Dark Dreamer. Gee, I have no IDEA who that is, do you? *grumbles*  
  
To Fyedra: Thank you for the cookies and Ryou plushie! *hugs plushie* I luv feedback! Ok, to answer your questions: Kerihk is spelt... well... Kerihk. Sorry if I messed up in the past chapters here and there. Oh, and Hikaru's item is the Millennium PENDANT, not Amulet, although that is an awesome word I had forgotten about (the same goes for "medallion" ^-^), I'll have to think of some way to use it. -_~ I liked your suggestion for the list of Millennium Items and bearers, so I will do that now every chapter as a reminder, but I won't include Malik, Isis, or Shaadi cuz they don't get involved till book 2. I can't write the definitions right after I write the jap phrases because that messes up my writing technique and I find it makes the story tedious. So just bear with me, there aren't that many of them and they're not that hard to figure out. Thanx for reviewing! ~Angel  
  
To Crystalia: Thanks so much for your sympathy! I can't believe I've only got 11 reviews either... not that I'm trying to brag, I've just been working really, really hard on this story and need more support. On my old fanfic, Little Hope, I had at least 15 reviews by the 7th chapter. :-( Thanks for recommending this story in your own, "Blood of the Innocent"! That will help with popularity, methinks (or, mehopes). I promise I'll add more Yugi and Yami, but I thought the past two chapters had a lot of them, iie? Didn't they? I'll try to post faster! I will, really! I've just got so much to say and so little time... and I'm wasting it making excuses. If you'll excuse me, I've gotta go write! ~Angel  
  
Everyone has poor Yami's personality confused! *sobs* He's tough in his duels, but didja hear what he said in the last Mai vs. Yugi episode? He's really so gentle and sweet! SO STOP WRITING FANFICS IN WHICH HE'S THIS BIG ARROGANT IDIOT WHO IS INDIFFERENT TO EVERYTHING BUT DUELING! HE'S NOT LIKE THAT!!!  
  
ANNOUNCEMENT: We have finally reached 100 pages! Thank you, thank you!  
  
"When you turn around... all the tears will dry... whatever was lost will be found... in the blink of an eye! When you're losing ground... hold your head up high... whatever was lost will be found... in the blink of an eye!" - In the Blink of an Aye: A*Teens "Pop 'til you Drop!"  
  
1. Yami 2. Hikari 3. Millennium Item 4. Yami's Power 5. Hikari's Power 6. Item's Power 7. Color  
  
1. Yugioh (I'm not doing all the dashes, and yes that's his real name - Yami's just a nickname cuz he... well... he prefers it over Yugioh) 2. Yugi Muto 3. Puzzle 4. Erm... I just call his power the "Power of the Millennium Seal" as in the signature, not the animal 5. Golden Detonation Beam (corny name, I know, and it's not his true power, but... well, you'll see) 6. Sends people to the Shadow Realm, does weird things, activates at Yami's will or Yugi's emotions 7. Yellow  
  
1. Kerihk 2. Ryou Bakura 3. Ring (it should have been the Millennium Dream Catcher ^-^) 4. ESP 5. ESP and something else... What is it? It's a secret! *mwahaha* 6. Opens portals to the Shadow Realm, can detect other Millennium Items, can combine them (how? you'll see....), and anything else I decide it can do (with author powers!) 7. White (how ironic)  
  
1. Kiara 2. Hikaru Daichi 3. Pendant (not Amulet) 4. Flight 5. Eh... the light in the night? I dunno what to call Hikaru's power yet... 6. Makes light in darkness, senses when others are in trouble 7. Pink  
  
1. Setsuna 2. Ai Itsuko (her initials spell her name: A.I.!) 3. Mirror 4. Super-strength 5. Also superstrength, sometimes called the "Power of Love" cuz not only does "Ai" mean "love," but she can only use her superstrength when she's fighting for someone she loves 6. Shows other Item Bearers, shows foes, can reverse magic but it is dangerous to use it to get out of another realm cuz you might end up somewhere between the Real World and the Shadow Realm - in other words you're lost 7. Red (in Egypt red signifies evil but Setsuna and Ai are not evil so I'm using it to signify the American way - love)  
  
1. Ahmose 2. Takehiko Midori 3. Sword 4. Fire 5. Flame (how original) 6. Gets you out of sticky situations (I guess), makes the bearer an expert fighter when he uses it 7. Orange  
  
1. Ay 2. Dajan Hada 3. Key 4. Water 5. Eh, water as well 6. Unlocks any lock 7. Light Blue  
  
1. Himoko 2. Misaki Hikawa 3. Spoon 4. Healing 5. Healing (no duh) 6. Stops time 7. Navy  
  
1. Taidu 2. Tali Takada 3. Broach 4. Of neither world, acts as a go-betweener for the... um... fates? 5. Pretty much just a peacemaker 6. Taps into almost inaccessible magic 7. Green  
  
1. Zhur 2. Pegasus J. Crawford (Pegasus J. Crawford) 3. Eye 4. Wouldn't you like to know 5. Like I'd tell you 6. Captures people's souls and a lot of other stuff that I don't feel like telling you 7. Shadowy Gray  
  
FAQ (I just had to add that) -  
  
" " - talking  
  
' ' - thinking  
  
/ - Any Hikari talking to his or her Yami in his or her mind  
  
// - Any Yami talking to his or her Hikari in his or her mind  
  
Hikari No Yuugi  
Play of Light  
  
by Angel  
  
Chapter Seven Part One: Yami Musouka  
Dark Dreamer  
  
Kiara scanned the skies, searching for any sign of where they were. All around her was green valley and many cliffs jutting out of the hilly land. A long river separated the island from the rest of the Kingdom. Kiara frowned and circled around the area one more time. There didn't appear to be any way off of it.  
  
"From what I could tell, we're still in Duelist Kingdom," Kiara said as she landed and made her wings disappear. "We must have landed on a different island, though. That castle is huge but I couldn't see it anywhere when I flying. It was supposed to be within sight from the air where we were supposed to land."  
  
"That means we must have drifted towards the west of our determined stop," Yami said.  
  
The hikaris listened to the conversation going on before them in silence, every now and then exchanging a glance of confusion or worry with one of their team members. Finally Ai got up the nerve to ask, "So, what do we do now?"  
  
Taidu sighed and shook her head, thinking. At last she replied, "I suppose we have to find a different way to Duelist Kingdom. Our old route didn't work out so well."  
  
"If we had taken MY way, this wouldn't have happened," Yugi hissed, disgruntled. He glared at his Millennium Puzzle. He wasn't really angry, but he was very frustrated with the situation.  
  
Hikaru and Ai looked at each other. 'Maybe Yugi is right,' Hikaru thought. 'Maybe we should have taken the Duelist Kingdom route after all...'  
  
"Did you see any way off this island from the sky, Kiara?" Misaki asked.  
  
Kiara didn't answer at first, but simply stared at Misaki, as if surprise to be addressed by a hikari not her own. Then she frowned thoughtfully and replied, "There's a river near another part of the Kingdom, a bigger portion probably much close to the castle than this. But we would have to build a raft or something to cross the river. It's wide and it may be rough; not being an eagle, I couldn't tell if there were rapids or not."  
  
"It's settled then," Taidu nodded, as if agreeing with Kiara. "We will journey to the river and cross it on a raft or whatever type of float we can come up with. We should go now, Iakara will not wait idly by when she learns we survived her storm."  
  
The others nodded and gathered up the rations that had survived the crash. Then they trooped off together, walking in two lines, one of yamis and the Kaibas, the other of hikaris and the Fujishimas. The green grass was soft and easy to walk on but there were many hills and slopes which were obstacles in their way. Eventually Kaiba and Ro lifted Mokuba and Makimura up on their shoulders and carried them the rest of the way. Yugi found himself a walking stick and all the hikaris began to lean against one another for support. It was a slow way to walk but it caused much laughter and kept the group light-hearted despite their hardships.  
  
***  
  
Keikeru Katsura shifted the grocery bags to his right shoulder just as the left one began to fall asleep. He wiped sweat off his brow and ran his fingers through his dirty-brown hair. It sure was hot. He felt sorry for Hikaru, who was supposedly "camping" in this heat.  
  
Someone came walking past the nineteen-year-old and accidentally knocked into him, causing the bags to fall out of his arms and land on the street. "Oh no..." he groaned, bending down to clean up the mess.  
  
"Yare!" exclaimed the girl who had bumped into Keikeru. "Sumimasen, I didn't see you! Here - let me help." She bent down and began picking up the groceries along with Keikeru.  
  
"Thank -" Keikeru stopped in mid-sentence when his gaze traveled to her bright blue eyes. Her long black hair flowed like a river over her shoulders and dangling from her neck on a chain was a silver bell. "KAMUI?"  
  
Kamui Tsumura giggled and covered her smile. "I was wondering when you would notice me."  
  
The two of them brought the groceries back to Keikeru's house and the boy invited her to stay for a while. While pouring tea for the two of them, Keikeru asked if Kamui had heard about the disappearances of Katsuya Jonouchi, Tetsuya Gotoh, Hiroto Honda, Ryoku Saito, Anzu Mazaki, and Naoko Takaya.  
  
"Yes," Kamui admitted. "I had heard something about that."  
"It doesn't make sense how they would all disappear together in one night, and the next day my little sister and her friends would go 'camping'," Keikeru murmured. "Especially since Hikaru was really good friends with three of those kids. If I know my sister, she would never get over this sort of thing so quickly."  
  
'If I know Keikeru,' Kamui thought, 'he already senses danger in the air with his sixth sense. Maybe I should tell him what I've been up to.'  
  
"Do you remember when we first met?" she asked aloud.  
  
Keikeru nodded, surprised at the question. "How could I forget? Before you left for Hong Kong, you came to Okinawa for a little while to visit the chief priest of the Monma Shrine (a/n: I doubt there is any such shrine, I made it up). We met at a festival at the shrine that Tali I brought Hikaru and her friends to."  
  
"Right," Kamui nodded. "We got to know each other right away because we could both sense the other had the sixth sense. The power to see into the spirit realm. We could understand each other. We still can." She smiled at Keikeru.  
  
"Yeah right."  
  
Kamui's smile quickly turned to a frown at the tone of Keikeru's voice. He shoved a tea cup into her hands and sat down across from her, sipping from his own cup. Finally he said, "If we could understand each other so well, how come we broke up?"  
  
"Keikeru -"  
"I loved you, Kamui. I still haven't gotten over you. Why did you do it? Why did you tell me it was over?"  
"It looks to me like you've gotten over it! You've gotten yourself a new girlfriend already!"  
"Who, Tali? She's not my girlfriend! Her father is a friend of Dad's! Besides, she's two years younger than me and still in school. And that doesn't answer my question."  
"I'm getting to that!"  
  
Kamui was a student teacher. Mysterious, beautiful, and relatively serene. Yet she was human, and only nineteen. If Keikeru thought it hadn't hurt her when they broke up as much as it had hurt him, he was badly mistaken.  
  
She took a deep breath. Actually it felt good to finally be telling someone this. "That day, before we broke up, I was already packing for my trip to Hong Kong. You knew it would only be a short while for us, Keikeru, but that's besides the point. Anyway, the chief priest, Yoshiyuki Nekoi, called for me in the inner shrine. When I arrived he introduced me to a man from Egypt called Shaadi, who showed me this very strange silver bell. Shaadi said is called 'Lyra.' He told me it is one of thirteen bell from Ancient Egypt (a/n: no, it is NOT another Millennium Item!) and was brought to Japan by to rid the world of an ancient curse. He gave it to me as a parting gift - meaning I was the one to break the curse." She dangled the bell around her neck in front of Keikeru's face. "After holding the bell for a few minutes, I finally gave it a ring. As soon as its sound reached my ears, I knew that one day it's power would be needed to defeat a great evil - the curse - one intent on destroying the bearers of the Millennium Items. When the great evil curse was released, then I would ring the silver bell. Of course, I had no idea what a Millennium Item was back then, so this didn't make much sense to me, and I wondered how I would know when - and where - to ring the bell. Then one sentence flowed through my mind: 'The ring will tell.' I thought it meant the ring of the bell, so I rang it over and over again. I couldn't figure it out, but I knew finding the great evil would be a terrible and dangerous job for me..."  
  
Tears glistened in her baby blue eyes as she continued. "That is why I broke up with you, Keikeru-kun. I didn't want to endanger you with my mission. And now, It's almost time for my part. As I said, I thought 'the ring will tell' meant the ring of the bell. I was wrong. The 'ring' was brought to me only a few days ago... by my own stepbrother! That's how I knew it was time. That sentence had meant the Millennium Ring, a Millennium Item like the Pendant your sister has." Of course Keikeru knew all about the Millennium Items, but he was surprised to hear that Kamui's stepbrother Ryou had one as well. "A girl named Ai Itsuko called both you and me to tell us that our younger siblings are going 'camping', iie? She... she was lying. They've gone to Duelist Kingdom to track down the disappearing kids."  
  
Keikeru gaped at Kamui. He couldn't speak. Kamui had this magical bell... his innocent little sister was in perilous Duelist Kingdom... and he hadn't known any of it. Finally he stuttered out, "So... what're you going to do about it?"  
  
Kamui gave Keikeru a gentle smile. "The bearers of the powerful Millennium Items must go on this journey to discover themselves, their pasts, their futures. But I must join them for a little while, if only to destroy the curse, the great evil."  
  
"Oh yeah? How are you going to do that?"  
  
"After the bell Lyra is rung when the curse is unleashed, it will break, never to be used again. Until then, I seem to bear unlimited power, including... teleportation."  
  
Kamui stood up. "Farewell, my love," she said, and prepared to ring the bell.  
Keikeru desperately scrambled to his feet. "Wait! Take me with you, please!" he begged.  
"This is why I didn't tell you of my plight in the first place," Kamui frowned. "I cannot take you with you, if only to keep you safe."  
"In the meantime, who will keep you safe?"  
"Good-bye, Keikeru-kun."  
"KAMUI!"  
  
It was too late. She rang Lyra, and a gigantic gust of wind blew out of nowhere to transport her to Duelist Kingdom. The last words Kamui Tsumura heard before she was caught up in the tornado of wind was the cry of Keikeru Katsura, "Aishiteru, koibito!"  
  
She smiled in relief. "Aishiteru, koibito."  
  
And then she was there.  
  
(A/N: OK, it is now 11:30 p.m. on the dot so I've got to get some sleep. I'll be back, but what am I going to do when school starts tomorrow? Eighth grade is no picnic!)  
  
***  
  
"WAHOO! WE'RE HERE!"  
"Takehiko, slow down! Honestly, hikari..."  
"That's a beautiful river."  
"Forget the river! Check out all the pretty flowers!"  
  
Hikaru ran down the grassy hillside in sheer delight, laughing and twirling among the flowers. The other hikaris smiled and made their way to the bottom, Takehiko and Dajan in the lead being chased by their yamis. The Kaibas and the Fujishimas sat down where they were, the older ones lying on the grass and the younger two by their sides.  
  
The other yamis stopped at the top of the hill and watched the young ones scream and tumble down into the gorge, laughing merrily.  
  
"They're having a good time," Himoko observed with a smile. "You know, we've been doing a lot of walking... this is really hard on them, and especially on Mokuba and Makimura. Maybe we should take a break before crossing the river."  
  
Taidu looked at her like she was insane and made a move to speak but was cut off by Ahmose. "That's a good idea," he said, forming a fire ball in his hand. "And I'll make a fire so we can grill Takehiko's so-called 'hot dogs.' We might as well eat the perishable food while we've got the time. I doubt the meat will last until we reach Pegasus's castle."  
  
"I won't eat it," Setsuna said with a toss of her hair. "Ai told me hot dogs are made from pork. I'm not allowed to eat pork."  
  
"You're not?" Ai asked, trotting up the hill when she heard her yami's statement.  
"'Course not. I'm Jewish."  
Old habits die hard.  
"Oh, right. Well, you can have salad. That is, if the tomatoes aren't all squashed..."  
  
Yami had his arms wrapped around Kiara in a brotherly fashion as he listened to the discussion. He was smiling serenely, a look he had never used in public before he and Kiara had been reunited (only Yugi had been treated to this look occasionally). He whispered something in her ear and Kiara mumbled something softly in reply as she stroked her braid.  
  
Taidu frowned at the two. Where was their sense of responsibility? They had to focus on the task at hand! The longer they put off building the raft, the more chance there would be that Iakara would catch up with them, and this time with reinforcements.  
  
Ai ran down the hillside to tell the other hikaris that it was time to eat. In response Dajan pointed at the sun and said it was almost set, they should be sleeping, not eating! He and Takehiko got into a fight because Takehiko wanted to eat and if Dajan wasn't hungry, he'd willingly take his share. Their yamis sighed and rushes down the hillside to stop their alter-egos from losing their voices.  
  
Soon the sky was covered in a dark blanket of night, but a roaring fire kept the crew warm. They huddled around it roasting their hot dogs on sticks and trying not to drop them in the cinders. Tali commented that it was just like a Girl Scout encampment.  
  
"If it were a Girl Scout encampment, we boys wouldn't be here," Yugi chuckled, the reflection of the flames flickering on his face.  
  
"Well, we did tell our families that we've gone camping," Ai added as she bit into her hot dog.  
  
Hikaru gave her hot dog the Evil Eye. "I've never eaten a plain hot dog. I always put ketchup on them."  
  
"Eww! I could never eat ketchup on meat, I always use mustard."  
"Do you put tomato sauce on meatballs, Misaki?"  
"Yes..."  
"Ketchup's made from tomatoes too, so it's not that disgusting, is it?"  
"Yes!"  
  
"I like my hot dogs with hot peppers and relish," Takehiko said dreamily, licking his lips. Dajan made a face and said he only ate hot dogs plain.  
  
Ro was rummaging through the rations, trying to see if they had packed mustard after all (Makimura was a picky eater and wouldn't eat her hot dog without mustard). Kaiba nudged him and whispered something in his ear. Ro grinned and brought the plain hot dog back to Makimura.  
  
"Imoutosan," Ro said, displaying the hot dog in front of her face, "this is a magic hot dog. If you eat it, you and I will always be together. But the magic only works if you eat it plain."  
  
Makimura took the hot dog and looked at it doubtfully. "You sure, nii-sama?"  
"Positive."  
"OK, then."  
  
Kaiba and Ro exchanged a glance when Makimura gobbled it up and Mokuba immediately followed her example, and grinned through fits of silent laughter.  
  
The yamis were debating whether or not they wanted to try the hot dogs. Setsuna had, of course, turned them down flat, but she was still considering whether she wanted to eat anything else. Technically, the yamis didn't need to eat as they were dead (a/n: pardon my bluntness), but that didn't mean they couldn't eat if they wanted to, did it?  
  
Yami picked up a hot dog roll and dangled it in front of his face. He waved it before him and said it looked like a slug. Yugi laughed through his glass of water and choked on it before falling over in hysterics.  
  
"What's so funny?" Yami asked, tearing the roll into little shreds.  
Yugi could only laugh and point. Finally Yami got up the courage to eat the roll, and he remarked that it was nothing special, it just tasted like bread.  
"That's what it IS," Yugi giggled.  
  
Setsuna was now chewing on some celery sticks and carrots. Himoko joined her in this. Kiara was eating her hot dog placidly as Taidu lectured her on being willing to eat anything anybody hands her ("You're too trusting! What if you had an allergic reaction to those wretched 'hot dogs'? They don't even look like dogs! How can you trust them?"). Ahmose and Ay were daring each other to eat the hot dogs; finally Ahmose gave in, but he roasted the hot dog using his own fire power and burned it to a crisp.  
  
"Oh well, you have to eat it anyway!" Ay sang, jumping around in jubilee.  
Ahmose frowned and shoved the mutated hot dog into his mouth. He chewed it for a few moments, and his face twisted into a disgusted frown. He swallowed and exclaimed, much to the delight of the others (especially Ay), "BLEHHHH!!! THAT TASTES TERRIBLE!"  
  
/If you hadn't burnt it, it wouldn't have tasted so bad,/ Takehiko responded through their mental link as he laughed out loud.  
//Oh, what do you know!//  
/A lot more about hot dogs than you!/  
  
"Where's Kerihk?" Bakura said suddenly. He had two hot dogs in his hands, both expertly grilled.  
  
"I don't know. Are you going to eat both of those?" asked Dajan.  
"Actually I was going to see if mou hitori no boku wanted one," Bakura answered (a/n: I told you that phrase would come in handy!).  
"I'll help you find him," Dajan said. The two wandered off together looking for the other silver-haired one.  
  
Yugi leaned back after finishing his hot dog, watching Bakura and Dajan disappear behind some trees. The silver moon reflected on the water of the wide river. Waves lapped on the cool sand and crabs scurried around along the shore. He closed his eyes.  
  
"Guys, it's late. We should sleep now," Misaki said when she noticed Makimura yawn.   
  
"I agree," Ai said. "Thank you for setting up all our sleeping bags, Seto, Ro."  
  
Kaiba and Ro nodded. Everyone then went off to their own sleeping bags; everyone, that is, but Yugi. He wandered off to the grassy area by the river banks and laid on his back, gazing at the stars. The cool night air kissed his skin, a gentle breeze blew his hair out of his face.  
  
"Jonouchi..." Yugi murmured, a worried look on his face. 'I wonder if he's okay. Are he and the others being taken care of? If anything happens... to Jonouchi and the others... Anzu... Honda... Naoko... Gotoh... and Saito... I wish...'  
  
"Wish what?"  
  
Yugi gasped and whirled around. Hikaru was staring at him, arms crossed, a benign smile on her lips.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," she said, blushing slightly.  
  
"Oh, no problem," Yugi said, turning redder than she. "I didn't realize I was speaking out loud."  
  
"What were you thinking about? I mean... what do you wish?"  
  
Yugi looked at the ground, wearing a soft smile. "I was thinking about... the sun up in the sky, the laughter in the rain, the lights in the dark..."  
  
"The hearts of two together, the mercy of the sea after a storm, the smile lit by candles," Hikaru continued.  
  
"You know it?"  
"I've always loved Yuriko Tokita's poetry. 'Blessings' is one of my favorites."  
"Anzu loves it too."  
"Yes... I know. We go to the same theatre arts class. She recited 'Blessings' as a monologue once."  
"I understand."  
  
Hikaru looked up. "Understand what?"  
  
Yugi didn't answer. There was something flickering in his eyes, a passion, a faith. He would save them. If only it had been him instead...  
  
"It should have been me."  
"No. Don't say that."  
"They didn't deserve to be taken."  
"No one does. Not you either."  
"Hikaru..."  
"Yugi, surrendering won't solve anything."  
"Who said I was -"  
"Death is giving up. Death is alone. No one should be alone. You said so yourself... remember?"  
  
~"NO! I'll never let you go! We're a team! One for all and all for one! We've GOT to hold together, it's our DESTINY to be together! We can't do this alone! NO ONE should be alone! Remember our promise? We'll always be there for each other! I WON'T LET YOU DOWN!"~  
  
"You wouldn't surrender. That's how you saved Ryou-chan and me." Hikaru sat by Yugi and took his hand. "Thank you. And we won't let you down either. We ARE a team."  
  
Tears pricked the back of Yugi's eyes. "If we fail..."  
"If we die, we will die without surrendering. I will fight. I don't agree with it, but I will."  
"There's almost zip chance we'll live to raise our own families now. It's so risky."  
"Almost zip. Those are your yami's words, not yours. Yamis can be so gloomy and unhopeful. We can make it if we believe we can." She laughed. "Besides, I've already got a list of names for children if I ever marry and have them. I can't give up now! I want to bring new faces into the world, it's a dream for me!"  
  
Yugi smiled. "I've already picked out the name for my daughter if I have one," he said.  
  
"Really? What is it?"  
  
Yugi's violet eyes danced with Hikaru's lavender orbs. It was so simple to him. "Her name would be... Sakura."  
  
Hikaru looked surprised, almost amused. "Sakura? Why Sakura?"  
  
Once again Yugi didn't give her a straight answer. (A/N: man, is he OOC or what? :-3)  
  
"Sakura because... of Sakura."  
  
Hikaru gave him a quizzical look. Before she could question him further, Kiara's voice rang out, "Hikari, aibyou, come get some sleep. You'll need your energy for tomorrow. You too, Yugi."  
  
Yugi hopped to his feet brightly, acting as if they had never had their discreet conversation. He clapped Hikaru on the shoulder. "She's right, you know. Let's go."  
  
"Mmm."  
  
And together they went, thinking of the sun in the sky, laughter in the rain, lights in the dark...  
  
***  
  
(A/N: Eeks... forget about this being short. It's already ten pages. I HAVE TO DO IT IN 2 PARTS AGAIN! Part two will be uploaded simultaneously. Gomen minna-san!)  
  
The blue-haired boy looked around, smelling the air around the river, his jade green eyes taking in everything. "I don't see your yami anywhere, Bakura," he said was a shrug.  
  
Bakura sighed and stared at the hot dog that had been for Kerihk. Then he dropped it in the sand. "Maa, naa. Guess if he wanted something he would have come to get it. But he won't answer me through our mental link so I have no clue where he is..."  
  
Dajan clapped a hand on Bakura's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. These things take time. Besides, I know you've got other things on your mind."  
  
The two boys locked eyes. Bakura found himself astonished that Dajan had realized he'd been thinking about that dream.  
  
"Why is it coming only to you?" Dajan wondered aloud.  
  
Sighing again, Bakura answered, "I don't know. But it's making me nuts. I just don't know what to make of it, and the weirdest thing is..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"This river, the cliff beside it, the rock steps leading to that boulder in the middle of the water... it's just like the scene in which my dream takes place."  
  
"Freaky," Dajan murmured, running his fingers through is hair. "But we'll figure out what's going on with you. We just need a little more time which unfortunately we don't have a lot of."  
  
Bakura smiled. "You know who you remind me of? Honda-kun."  
  
"Honda? Really?"  
  
"Yeah, you're both really logical people and very observant. You figure things out before the rest of us but keep your cool anyway."  
  
Dajan hopped out on to one of the rocks leading to the giant bolder in the stream. He took a breath of the night air. "It's getting foggy out," he said, looking at Bakura with deep admiration. 'I've never met anyone like him, or the others,' Dajan thought. 'I never really believed friends could get as close as brothers. Maybe I was wrong.'  
  
Bakura followed Dajan out to the boulder. "You're right," he said as they both landed on the rock. "The clouds are thickening." Sure enough, they could hardly see the land from the fog now clouding their vision. Shivering, Bakura continued, "It's getting chilly too. Let's go back."  
  
"Y-Yeah. Right behind you."  
  
Suddenly a great gust of wind blew their hair in their faces. Dajan planted his feet more firmly into the rock and looked forward to see how Bakura was doing.  
  
The silver-haired boy was standing stiffly, seeming to be in a trance. Dajan began to yell to him if he was all right, but at that moment three birds emerged from the sky, one black, one white, one purple. They appeared to be fighting with each other, and Bakura seemed captivated by them. All at once the three birds soared down in front of his face, ignoring the bewildered Dajan; their only interest was the bearer of the Millennium Ring.  
  
~*~Anaiyu, Oleu, Niku...~*~  
  
The white one dove closest to Bakura, its eyes seeming to beg him for something. Bakura reached out and stroked its pure white wings, wearing a glazed look.  
  
"Do you want me for something?" he asked quietly.  
  
Hardly were the words out of his mouth when all three birds took off into the sky in V formation. /Oh no.../ he groaned inwardly, accidentally letting his thoughts slip through his mental link to Kerihk.  
  
"Bakura, what's going on? Ah -"  
  
Dajan was cut off as white ribbons shot smoothly out of the water and wrapped around the two boys' legs. Dajan screamed and sucked in his breath as the ribbons pulled Bakura and himself into the water deeps.  
  
***  
  
Kerihk jumped from his hiding place in the treetops near the river when he heard his hikari's thoughts. He had been watching Bakura and Dajan as they searched for him along the shore, but chose not to show himself. He had gotten a bit worried when the fog enshrouded the two boys, but he hadn't become genuinely concerned until Bakura's thoughts of /Oh no.../ reached his mind.  
  
Kerihk dashed along the shore, searching for any sign of his hikari. He made a face when he accidentally trodden on the sandy hot dog Bakura had dropped earlier. Stopping to shake mustard off his shoe, he noticed something in the water.  
  
Two white ribbons were protruding from the surface, dangling around in mid air. They grabbed on to something and Dajan's voice let out a yell. Kerihk saw his hikari for a split second before they were engulfed by the cold river water.  
  
"BAKURA!" Kerihk screamed. "Answer me, baka hikari!"  
  
When there was no reply, the angered yami only got more fearful. WHERE had he GONE?  
  
"Kerihk!"  
  
Ay's voice sounded in Kerihk's ears. He whipped around and glared at his fellow yami. "Bakura and Dajan are gone," he said when Ay reached him.  
  
Panting, Ay answered, "I know. Dajan just told me through our mental link that he and Bakura are okay, they're under water but they can breathe somehow."  
  
Kerihk's deep amber eyes widened. "How? Duelist Kingdom isn't a magic haven like Egypt was or even Ryúnade, it's just a group of islands."  
  
"But there are entrances to the Shadow Realm," Ay queried.  
  
Kerihk was silent. If Bakura and Dajan had entered the Shadow Realm all on their own, they were in big trouble.  
  
//Bakura, you are SO going to get it when I get ahold of you.//  
/.../  
//Bakura?//  
/.../  
//Aibyou? Answer me, for Ra's sake!//  
  
Kerihk gripped his Millennium Ring and allowed his mind to enter his soul room. He tripped over a rock on the floor as soon as he took off for the "Hall of Colors." Quickly leaping to his feet, he rushed to the hall and pulled open the door.  
  
Kerihk gasped at what he saw. The room wasn't any of the normal colors, nor was it rainbow indicating Bakura was asleep like he'd expected.  
  
It was white.  
  
A soul room never turned white. No one was sure what white stood for in one's mind. As far as he knew, it had never happened before.  
  
But now it had.  
  
And he was standing in it.  
  
Kerihk shook himself. What was going on?  
  
***  
  
(a/n: me likes asterisks. ^-^)  
  
Dajan choked and sputtered as the water immersed him. The ribbons did not loosen their grip on his legs, and he was running out of air. He tried to hold his breath, but his lungs would burst if they didn't get air soon...  
  
Just when he thought he couldn't take it any longer, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Opening his sea-green eyes, he spotted Bakura chuckling quietly to himself.  
  
"Dajan, we can breathe, you know," the silver-haired said.  
  
Dajan blinked, then took a deep breath. The water went up his nose and flooded into his head, but it felt cool and refreshing, like a tall glass of water after starving in the desert. No, not a glass. A pitcher.  
  
"This is way freaky," Dajan commented.  
  
"You said it. How can we breathe?"  
  
"You're asking me?"  
  
"... Good point."  
  
"Well, maybe we should swim back to the surface. You think?" Not that he really minded. Dajan could hold his breath longer than anybody he knew, but he was ecstatic about really breathing underwater. Hopefully this was permanent.  
  
He looked over at Bakura for his answer. Bakura's eyes were closed; he looked like he had passed out even though he was floating.  
  
"B-Bakura?" Dajan asked, waving a hand in his friend's face. "Are you okay?"  
  
There was no reply.  
  
"Bakura? Bakura!"  
  
Bakura could vaguely here Dajan's pleads for him to awaken in his soul room. He felt like he was floating in mid air, but being compressed by jelly-like walls. When his yami's voice entered his ears, shouting, //Aibyou? Answer me, for Ra's sake!// he didn't even notice.  
  
Dajan swam back in shock as Bakura's eyes opened. Normally the color of warm chestnut, his eyes were glowing white. Bakura lifted his head toward the sky and the same white light formed at his heart. Suddenly it shot straight into the air, creating a column of light for all to see.  
  
And all did see. Kiara, who was waiting worriedly for Ay to return with Kerihk and their two hikaris, watched the arrow of pure whiteness blast into the sky. She gasped, and ran to wake up her friends.  
  
Taidu, too, noticed the light, but unlike Kiara, she felt no sense of panic. After the spell of wishes she had cast to rid them of the Tangannohi, she would have expected this.  
  
Kiara quickly roused the others and they all set off for the beach.  
  
Kerihk let out a yell when he saw the white pillar reach the clouds. "Ay, what is that?!" he exclaimed in excited fright.  
  
"You're asking me?" Ay answered in perfect imitation of his hikari. "Wait, whoa! Look out, tidal wave!"  
  
He was too late. A giant wave that should never have emerged from a river, no matter how deep, jumped from the ocean and crashed down upon the yamis, sucking them into its depths.  
  
Kerihk kicked and waved his arms in the water, trying to reach the surface. Ay had nothing to worry about, he could always breathe underwater, it came with his power of water. Something was keeping the yami from swimming properly, however, and Kerihk had no choice but to take a breath.  
  
"Oh great," he said when he realized he could breathe. "Just great. I was hoping to get a free ticket out of this baka world."  
  
"Urusei, Kerihk," Ay commanded. He gestured for Kerihk to swim with him deeper into the heart of the river. Reluctantly, Kerihk obliged.  
  
They swam together in silence for a while, their eyes drifting to all the different types of colorful coral that should not have been able to survive in the fresh water of the river. Seaweed clouded their vision at times, so they had to find ways to kick it out of their path. The magic of the river, now overflowing with excess water, kept their senses alert. Who knew what lay in the mysterious depths of the river?  
  
Something golden was glinting ahead, and Kerihk immediately recognized it as the glare of his hikari's Millennium Ring. He mad a mad dash forward, Ay easily keeping up with his fast pace.  
  
Noting that the water was considerably warmer in this area, Kerihk wondered if the golden light really belonged to Bakura's Millennium Ring. Beyond it, something large, magical, and glowing red lurked in the waters.  
  
The yami shuddered. He had no idea what it was, but he could sense something evil near them, waiting to strike. A Shadow creature from the realm of darkness. At the same time, the bright presence of the two hikaris was growing stronger, and soon Kerihk forgot about the Shadow creature by the big red object (a/n: Clifford the big red dog! Readers: Um... that like so totally messed up the sentence. ::sweatdrop::) in light of rejoining his hikari.  
  
"Ba-ku-ra!" Kerihk exclaimed in exasperation as he and Ay at last swam up to meet the young ones. Bakura was pretty much back to normal now, but he seemed confused and couldn't understand why they were underwater.  
  
"That was very stupid, climbing out on those rocks in the middle of the night!" Kerihk hissed, trying to sound overly upset to hide his worry.  
  
"I know... gomen..." Bakura sighed miserably, looking away.  
  
The light from the red object was glowing stronger now. Both Kerihk and Ay could feel the presence of the Shadow, faintly at first, but growing stronger. There may be more than one. They didn't want to wait around to find out.  
  
"C'mon," Ay murmured, tossing his head in the direction of the surface. He began to swim upwards, but Bakura shook his head.  
  
"No," the boy disagreed. "No, we... we have to follow that red light."  
  
Ay gaped, and looked from Kerihk to Bakura in a have-you-gone-insane fashion. Kerihk's face remained stone and unmoving, Bakura's firm in his stare at the object.  
  
"There are Shadows out there!" he cried, flinging his hands upward in the water. "And it really doesn't look inviting! The others will be looking for us! Why on EARTH would you want to go there?"  
  
No one answered Ay's question. With a frown and toss of his blue hair, Ay swam in front of the others. Finally he announced haughtily,  
  
"If you want to check it out, we've got to do it fast and discreetly. We can't risk any chance of Shadows finding us. I know a way we can use the seaweed patches to our advantage. But let's go quick."  
  
He swam to the left, towards a garden of seaweed that was an ocean in itself. The three others followed him almost immediately, Dajan quietly chuckling to himself, thinking, 'He's going along with us because he's just as curious as Bakura.'  
  
The stench of Shadows grew even stronger as they hid behind the seaweed barrier, swimming to their destination. The water was becoming very warm indeed, but whether the heat was coming from the glowing red sphere - for now they could tell that it was definitely an over-sized round ball - or the Shadows stationed nearby.  
  
Ay wrinkled his nose in distaste. He was thankful Dajan couldn't sense what he could. Dajan and Bakura wouldn't be able to realize that a Shadow was near them until the creature was in normal smelling range. He and Kerihk, not to mention all the other yamis, could tell when a Shadow emerged from the Shadow Realm in their domain.  
  
Presently the four reached a particularly thick plot of kelp, which they ducked under to hide from any unwanted visitors. Gingerly sticking his fingers through the seaweed, Kerihk peered out at the sphere.  
  
It could have been a UFO. The object was at least as long as the train they had taken to Atami, and just as high. It seemed to be made of stone, with a ring of ice circling it like the rings of Saturn. There was no doubt about it - the hotness was certainly radiating from the core of the sphere, as was the great, blood red light. How the ice managed to stay intact could only be Sealing magic.  
  
In the glow of the sphere, Kerihk's keen eyes could make out large engravings on the stone's rings. What they said, he couldn't tell, but from the looks of it they were -  
  
"Hieroglyphics," Kerihk stated to the others, reporting what he'd seen. "I could see some of the symbols, but we're too far away to read it clearly."  
  
"We have to get closer," Bakura said thoughtfully, and this time, nobody objected. Their curiosity at the hieroglyphics, long since dispersed from the modern world, was much too great.  
  
Ay's jade green eyes widened in realization, and his lips curled into a smile. "Guys, I've just figured out our one-way ticket out of here," he remarked , showing his pearl-white teeth.  
  
The other three returned his sly grin and huddled in deep discussion. 


	9. Yami Musouka Part Two

" " - talking  
  
' ' - thinking  
  
/ - Any Hikari talking to his or her Yami in his or her mind  
  
// - Any Yami talking to his or her Hikari in his or her mind  
  
Hikari No Yuugi  
Play of Light  
  
by Angel  
  
Chapter Seven Part Two: Yami Musouka  
Dark Dreamer  
  
Her trip had ended some time ago, and now Kamui was sitting under a cliff side, nibbling a carrot stick. She had seen the recent events of the river - the giant waves, the disappearances of her stepbrother and his friends, and now the arrival of all the Shadow Gamers of Light.  
  
'Ironic, that name,' Kamui thought, dismissing it as someone's idea of a bad joke.  
  
Soon it would be time for her part. She touched the silver bell hanging from the chain on her neck, stilling it from the night breeze. Soon she would banish the Shadow living deep beneath the river once and for all.  
  
The Shadow, she knew, was the whole reason she had made the magical journey to Duelist Kingdom right before her love Keikeru's eyes. It was a dark creature thousands of years old. It had managed to escape the Shadow Realm by forcing a magician of the Seal to open a gate into the real world. Then it had sucked the life from the mage to strengthen his powers. It called itself Chahahka's Slayer, taking the name of the mage it had destroyed and left to diminish in the Shadow Realm, Chahahka. The Shadow had roamed the islands that were now Duelist Kingdom for many centuries until another powerful mage had sealed it away in a great stone sphere. The mage may have managed to capture Chahahka, but the banishing was up to Kamui and the Shadow Gamers of Light.  
  
Kamui watched as the former Pharaoh and his hikari rushed up to the edge of the river, shouting out for their lost friends. The others were close behind, and Kamui caught bits and pieces of their conversation. A blond boy with fearful blue eyes was wondering if they had drowned. A little brown-haired girl - Keikeru's younger sister - looked terrified at the prospect. A red-haired lady with mysterious brown eyes said something Kamui couldn't quite catch, but the others understood perfectly. The next thing she knew, the Pharaoh and the Queen were slipping into the icy river waters. She sat up abruptly. What were they doing? If they were in the water when she rang her bell...!  
  
Yami and Kiara waded out deeper, the cool night water tickling their legs. They were quickly waist-deep in the river, but that was simply because of their lack of size. Kiara turned back to the others.  
  
"It's all right out here," she said, rolling up one pink sleeve to prove she had no goose bumps. "And I'm sure I sense Ay and Kerihk under the flow." Kiara could sense auras better than any of the others, so no one doubted her statement.  
  
"It will be dark underneath," Taidu rallied, her fingers brushing the Millennium Broach. "And cold. The hikaris should stay here."  
  
Yami, who was now at chin-level in the water, an average-sized person's breast level, scowled as if confused. He dipped his index and middle fingers into the stream and brought it to his mouth. The freshwater naturally had little salt in it, and tasted just like the water of a reservoir. Yet he found it to be much warmer than the area Kiara was standing in, and he found something else in it too... the foul, corrupted zest of Shadows. As a mage of the Seal, Yami knew that sensation anywhere, and he quickly yanked his fingers out of his mouth, grimacing with disgust.  
  
"Brother."  
  
Kiara's voice sounded from nowhere. Yami slowly turned, and locked his gaze with hers. "Shadow," he said simply in Egyptian. Kiara nodded and answered also in Egyptian. "I thought so."  
  
"What are they talking about?" Tali asked Taidu. Taidu shook her head, not wishing the hikaris to know.  
  
"You all stay here," she said. "Let's go."  
  
At her command, she, Himoko, Setsuna, and Ahmose stepped into the chilly waters after Yami and Kiara. The hikaris, the Kaibas, and the Fujishimas waited for their return as they were told.  
  
Finally Kaiba stood up. "This is ridiculous," he said, crossing his arms and facing the cliff side. "I'm going to scout out the area. They may have come out on a different part of the river."  
  
"That's a good idea," Ro said. "Come on, Makimura, Mokuba."  
  
"No, they should stay with Misaki," Kaiba objected.  
  
Misaki and Tali laughed and ruffled Mokuba and Makimura's hair. "Your big brothers think they can just waltz off together and leave the rest of us pretty Seto- and Ro-less. Of course we're coming too!" Tali exclaimed.  
  
Kaiba gaped at them, then shook his head vigorously. "No way. It might be dangerous."  
  
Misaki sighed and flung her hands up in mock frustration. "Everything's dangerous to you, Seto-kun! But Mokuba and Makimura don't want to be without you, and while you do the scouting, they'll need someone to watch them. So Tali and I will come along for that purpose."  
  
It didn't take Kaiba long to realize he had once again lost to Misaki Hikawa.  
  
Hikaru looked doubtful at the proposition. "Guys, I don't know if this is a good idea. Taidu said to stay here. We should all stick together."  
  
"Relax, Hikaru-chan." Misaki waved her hand dismissively with a confident smile. She pushed her glasses further up her nose. "Nothing's going to happen. We're only going to see if Dajan and Bakura came out the other side. What could go wrong?"  
  
Hikaru didn't voice the implication that whatever dragged the two boys and their yamis into the river just might get those six as well. Her lavender eyes followed them as they disappeared down the hillside, then drifted to the tall cliff looming in the light of the moon.  
  
"I hope they're okay..." she mumbled.  
  
Something shifted in the shadow of the cliff. Hikaru looked towards it, and saw a faint yellow light shining from the top. (a/n: there sure are a lot of glowing lights in this ficcie, aren't there?)  
  
'What's that...' she thought, before her eyes widened and focused on the light, ignoring everything else around her. As if magically pulled by some force, her feet began to walk, jog, then sprint towards it.  
  
"Hikaru!" shouted the voices of her remaining three friends. "Come back! What are you doing? Get back here!" Yugi's anxious voice sounded greater among the others, and for an instance Hikaru became her old self again and turned around; another flash of the light came and she was instantly dashing to the hilltop once more.  
  
"Hikaru!" Yugi yelled again. Hands balled into fists, teeth clenched tightly, he took off after her, leaving Takehiko and Ai alone on the beach.  
  
The brown-haired girl continued to be deaf to Yugi's desperate shouts for her to slow down and clambered up the cliff with abnormal swiftness. Yugi's violet eyes filled with fear and shock as he realized that she should never have been able to get up there so quickly; the cliff was too steep and it was practically pitch black out. Swallowing his fear, Yugi attempted to follow her up the rocks.  
  
He wasn't quick enough to beat Hikaru. In the blink of an eye she was at the top of the cliff, bending down over something lying near her feet. She bent down, and picked up a strange black book with red rims. A golden Eye symbol was emblazoned on the center of the cover, with hieroglyphics written below it and on the back.  
  
In a trance, Hikaru opened the cover and stared with unseeing eyes at the page. Then she began to read, and everything stopped as if frozen in time.  
  
***  
  
The fish was an extremely little one, but it would do. Ay grabbed its tale as it passed and added it to the net of fish they had already captured. "I think we have enough," he said at last, rubbing his hands on his pants.  
  
Kerihk snorted. "Enough is right," he grunted. "We only need two more to reach fifty."  
  
"Oh, well then, let's get two more."  
  
Kerihk glared at him.  
  
"C'mon," Bakura mumbled, hugging himself. "Let's get this over with. I want to know what those hieroglyphics are, but it's really creepy down here and I want to get back to the surface..."  
  
Their plan was underway. Dajan and Ay, being the best swimmers, each took a length of the net and swam out towards the red sphere. They waited a moment, Ay sniffing around for the closest Shadow creature. He smirked when he sensed a group of three hiding behind a reef, and nodded to Dajan. In an instant the fish were released from the net, and all forty-eight of them darted off in different directions, only to turn around and cut through the water towards the reef where the Shadows lurked. With a satisfied smile, yami and hikari about-faced and joined Bakura and Kerihk by the ice ring around the sphere.  
  
"Our plan worked," Ay reported to the others. "I guessed that since no fish were swimming near this red thing, they probably didn't want to go near it, so if we let them loose in the right place, they would swim as far away from it as possible, posing as a distraction for the Shadows. They'll be too busy feeding off of lesser life to come after us."  
  
Dajan grinned at Ay. /Brilliant!/ he thought. /You must have been an expert fisherman in your time./  
  
Ay only blushed.  
  
The ice ring was as cold as it looked, which was surprising since the heat emitting from the sphere was even greater now that they were up close, scorching their skin. Bakura voiced the opinion that they were either in a hot spring or a boiling vat of soup. He reached up with one hand to touch the ice; elements of hot and cold intertwined and sent a painful shock up his arm. He almost screamed, but Kerihk clamped a hand over his mouth so as not to alert the Shadows of their arrival.  
  
Bakura sucked on his fingers, wincing with the after-pain. "What do the rings say?" he said through partly-shut teeth.  
  
Ay and Kerihk looked at each other. "Do you want to read it?" asked the latter.  
  
"I'd rather not," Ay answered, with a side-look at the ring.  
  
Kerihk gave a forced nod and foxy grin and swam even closer to the ice, until he and the ring were only an inch or two apart. He took a great gulp of the river water, and read aloud:  
  
"Three great powers sustain the world:  
Light, Dark, and Shadow; the Triforce.  
Light is the purest and most indestructible  
But she can only be summoned by one pure of heart and willing to sacrifice."  
  
His voice faltered, and he took a moment to try to stop shaking. He felt power coming from his tongue like fire, blistering and burning his lips. He wiped the froth from his mouth and continued.  
  
"Light is also the most deadly to both good and evil.  
Silent Dark is power that surrounds the world.  
She cannot defeat her corrupt sister Shadow  
And cannot put out the light  
But she may whisper the future to one willing to listen."  
  
Again Kerihk's voice trembled, feeling like someone had lit fire to his face. Before he could start once more on the end of the verse, a great rumbling began to sound from the sphere. He looked at his friends.  
  
"Please tell me that was one of your stomachs," he pleaded.  
  
Three pairs of unknowing eyes blinked back at him, filled with fear. Kerihk swam backwards, joining them on the floor of the river, as the red sphere began to crack and break until it destroyed the ice ring. Emerging from the sphere was the cause of the red light and the heat.  
  
A great beast, a Shadow of the Great Ones of Fire, was being unchained, and quickly. Its eyes were like yellow torches of flame, burning and flashing consistently. Its body was also composed of flames, and its heart was of blue fire like the center of the hearth. Serrated teeth, fiery wings, and a smoking nose distinguished its body as a solid object and not a twisting column of fire. It opened its mouth, revealing a yellow tongue as long as Ay who was about two inches taller than Kerihk, and let out an ear-splitting roar.  
  
"AAAIIIIEEEEE!" shrieked its victims, covering their ears in agony. The water was boiling now, but they couldn't swim to safety; the Fire Demon had immobilized their bodies, trapping them to the river floor. Through clenched teeth and tearing eyes, they tried to endure the heat and Shadow powers ejecting from the Fire Demon.  
  
'Chahahka's... Slayer...' was Kerihk's last thought before he descending into darkness.  
  
***  
(A/N: I know, I know... more asterisks.)  
  
Yugi stopped in his tracks as Hikaru's sweet voice, mingling with an unfamiliar, mysterious tone, began reciting something from the black and red book in a different language. Egyptian, he realized, recognizing a few of the words he'd heard Yami use (though not their meanings), but how could Hikaru suddenly speak it?  
  
Two-thirds through the stanza her voice switched to Japanese, and she went on to finish the verse.  
  
"... But she may whisper the future to one willing to listen.  
Shadow is the most malicious, the most foul and wicked.  
She seeks only power, and skillfully gains it.  
Shadow is the most powerful of all, and only she can defeat herself  
Lest the one with the Pure Heart makes the Final Wish  
Ignoring the inevitable cost of death to destroy the threat of Great Evil."  
  
"F-Final Wish?" Yugi repeated hoarsely, lost in a blank state of mind. He shook his head, and resumed climbing, still musing on the prophecy. "The threat of Great Evil?" What was Hikaru talking about?  
  
He had reached the top of the cliff now. There was Hikaru, standing perfectly still, hands outstretched. The book was laying open in her palms like an omen of peril. Yugi mustered up all his courage and sprinted over jagged rocks and stones to the mesmerized girl.  
  
Just as Yugi was about to reach out and tap Hikaru's shoulder, she suddenly fell forward, clutching the book to her chest, right over the edge of the cliff. "HIKARU!" Yugi shrieked, grabbing her arm to pull her back. He paid for his recklessness as both he and Hikaru tumbled off the cliff, linked by their hands.  
  
Yugi tried to pull Hikaru's small frame to him so when they landed he would take the most impact. Yet the expected crash and paralyzing pain never came. He opened his eyes to find himself in someone's strong arms, arms belonging to none other than Princess Kiara.  
  
Kiara looked full of concern and anticipation as she soared above the river with Yugi and Hikaru in her grasp. Her great white wings shone like silver in the moonlight, beating against the wind to reach the shore.  
  
"What happened, Yugi?" she asked, looking extremely disquieted. "I thought Taidu told you guys to stay on the land."  
  
"We were, but then Hikaru went all weird and ran up this cliff," Yugi answered, trying to keep Hikaru from falling into the river by biting her pink jacket with his teeth. "She opened some strange book - look, she's still got it even now - and started speaking in Egyptian. Then she changed to Japanese and said something about a Final Wish and - what's that?!"  
  
Yugi gasped as he finished his story, staring down at the churning river waters. The water was quickly evaporating, leaving shells and seaweed stranded and dying on its muddy floor. Soon all the water was gone, and the yamis were standing on squishy ground, entangled in kelp. The boy couldn't believe what he saw. How could all that water disappear so quickly? He looked behind Kiara, and squealed in alarm at the sight of a humongous creature of fire stretching its long clawed arms nearby. The heat was terrible, and the effect of the hotness evaporated the river in an instant. Squinting, Yugi saw Kerihk and Ay running to join the other yamis at top speed, panting like anything. Bakura and Dajan were heading for the shore.  
  
"What IS that thing?" Yugi cried, attempting to move the entranced Hikaru into a more stable position - she was beginning to slip through his fingers.  
  
Kiara's lavender eyes narrowed. "Chahahka's Slayer," she hissed. "My father, Pharaoh Ramses III, had two high priests - Chahahka and Semaret. Zhur - who is Pegasus - was the Grand Vizier. Chahahka came across a Fire Demon of the Greater Shadows once, and thought it would make a good servant, or tool for the Shadow Games. So he quite foolishly released it. Naturally the Fire Demon wasn't too happy about being awakened from its quiet slumber, and it turned on Chahahka, destroying him. He took the name of the mage who had released him, and from then on was known as Chahahka's Slayer. He was eventually banished by Semaret using the bell 'Ceres', but not for good. The bell that must be used is 'Lyra' - the Lyre. Ceres is not powerful enough. I wonder if someone nearby has Lyra? This might not be coincidence."  
  
Yugi opened his mouth to ask another question, but the words got caught in his throat as he realized he was suddenly very free and light. He shouted as Hikaru fell out of his grip and towards the bemired earth.  
  
"HIKARU! Hikaru! HIKARU!!!"  
  
Falling...  
Falling...  
Falling...  
  
Hikaru's luck held out as Yami watched the pink speck descend from Yugi's hands and to the ground. He jumped up and caught her in the air before tumbling face-first into the mud with the small girl and her book clasped to his chest.  
  
"Yami!" Ahmose shouted as he and the others, now including Kerihk and Ay, ran to his side. "Are you all right?"  
  
Panting, the pharaoh with the glittering gem-like eyes stood up again, carrying Hikaru. "I'm fine..." he said, looking completely out of breath.  
  
Hikaru seemed to finally come out of her spellbound state as she hit the ground. She looked up, saw the mud and dirt streaking along Yami's face, and Kiara soaring down with Yugi in her grasp, and realized what had happened.  
  
"Thank you, Y-Yami...?" she said in a small voice, feeling quite tired and also unsure of what to call Yugi's other self. Everyone was calling him Yami, but she had a yami of her own and it felt a little weird.  
  
"That's fine," Yami answered, as if guessing her thoughts. "Everyone's always called me Yami - it's just a nickname, though. And you're welcome. I couldn't let my little sister's hikari fall to her doom, now could I?"  
  
Hikaru smiled, nestling closer to his chest, still feeling like the wind had been knocked out of her.  
  
Kiara interrupted Yami and Hikaru's chat with an anxious exclamation, "Hikaru, are you okay? When you fell, I thought - I thought -"  
  
"I'm fine, Kiara."  
  
"I was worried too," Yugi said quietly, disentangling himself from Kiara. Hikaru smiled gratefully at him, causing him to blush furiously, and also detached herself from her rescuer.  
  
Chahahka's Slayer (a/n: that's too long, so I'll just be calling him Chahahka from now on) was up on both his feet now, stretching his enormous fiery wings. His legs were lips pillars, his teeth likes knives, his hands like fists of iron. He roared again, causing the ground to quake from the sound waves.  
  
"Is that Chahahka's Slayer?" yelled Ahmose as soon as the echo died out, blue eyes blazing with fire as grand as Chahahka's. He had drawn his Millennium Sword from its scabbard and had it held in front of him ready for battle.  
  
Ay nodded, gritting his teeth as dust and ash blew their way, stinging their eyes and sticking to their skin. "That's him all right," he said, wiping the ashes from his mouth, "he was right there under the water with us in the great red sphere. When Kerihk was almost done with the writing on the ice ring he broke through and..."  
  
"Wait a minute... writing? Ice ring? Tell me everything you know!" the warrior growled, swinging his sword around. Fire erupted upon it in recollection of Ahmose's fire attack, Burning Sword of Battle (a/n: yes, it's the same as the Flame Swordsman's. Why? You'll see! ::winks::). "I'm gonna roast me some Chahahka."  
  
"Don't be an idiot," Kerihk snapped. "Fighting fire with fire isn't going to work in this situation! Chahahka is too strong! Our best bet is to lead it out to the ocean where the salt water will destroy its flames. Then it will be weak enough to beat!"  
  
"There's no time!" Yami shouted. Chahahka was stomping towards them now, its eyes burning with a passion for revenge. "If we run now it'll catch up with us immediately! And it might turn on the hikaris if we leave!"  
  
"The what do we do?"  
"I don't know! This has never happened before!"  
"How did Semaret defeat Chahahka's Slayer?"  
"He used Ceres, the bell, remember? But we haven't got that now -"  
"Anyway it didn't even work, it only bound him for -"  
" Five millennia."  
"Well yes, but only Lyra can bind Chahahka forever!"  
"Where's Lyra, then?"  
"Who knows! Last I remember, Father had the thirteen Bells of Binding locked away with the Millennium Ankh in the secret passageway under the dungeon. You know, the one Kerihk and what's-his-name... oh yes, Sahure used to use to escape whenever they were caught robbing people?"  
"You had to remind me of that..."  
"It wasn't so secret if Kerihk and Sahure knew about it."  
"That doesn't matter, Setsuna! We need at least one of the bells - Ceres, Lyra, Sirius, Gemini - any one of them to bind Chahahka, and we need it now!"  
  
There was a silence after Kiara's statement as everyone thought. Finally Kerihk opened his mouth slowly.  
  
"Bakura's friends in Egypt... they have a lot of the bells," he mumbled uncomfortably, shifting around to check on the giant of fire who was now sending embers into the grass on the hills as he stomped around. "I remember Sahure once telling me that the thirteen bells are for each of the twelve Millennium Item bearers. There are only twelve instead of thirteen because Shaadi has two. Maybe... maybe that's because Lyra is supposed to be destroyed after it releases its most powerful spell on Chahahka..."  
  
"That doesn't help us though," Ay argued cynically. "We're not in Egypt and Sahure isn't here right now to give us the bells. What are we supposed to do?!"  
  
Chahahka came closer now, taking much more time than was needed. He seemed to be enjoying the tension filling the yamis, Yugi's, and Hikaru's hearts. An evil smirk was stretched upon his thin black lips, and he looked extremely confident in himself.  
  
"He's sure full of amour propre," Setsuna said disdainfully, trying to sound unshaken even though she was trembling.  
  
"A-amour propre?" Yami stuttered, also trying to keep his cool in the heat of the battle.  
  
"It's a - a French phrase I learned from Ai."  
  
"Oh. Nanto."  
  
Standing besides the armed Ahmose, Ay could see the furious Chahahka practically breaking the ground he was stepping on. He cringed as he felt the earth quake and shudder, and the chill wind was filled with more Shadow than there had been before. "That's it," he mumbled. "I'm tired of waiting around. The only thing we can do is fight."  
  
Ahmose raised his sword. "Right!"  
Kiara spread her angel-like wings. "I'm with you!"  
Yami nodded. "Ditto to that!"  
Setsuna launched into a karate punching position. "Right behind you!"  
Kerihk gritted his teeth. "Let's do it."  
Taidu and Himoko formed Sealing Magic symbols with their hands. "Agreed."  
  
Yugi and Hikaru could only watch.  
  
All at once, all six yamis dashed out in front of Yugi and Hikaru, roaring with rage. Chahahka roared back, and they all set up their attacks, preparing to annihilate the enemy whether with evil fire or good Sealing Magic - Chahahka was running fast - any second now - they were going to collide together - there would be an explosion and everything would be destroyed - all hopes of saving their kidnapped friends were about to be demolished -  
  
Yugi's ears were ringing with an unfamiliar sound. At first he didn't realize he was hearing it, he was too intent on Chahahka's stampede towards them. Then, as he realized both teams had suddenly stopped in their tracks, the terrible ringing alerted his senses and he clamped his hands over his ears, trying to stop it.  
  
Hikaru's eyes were wide with astonishment, her hands also covering her pained ears. "What is that sound?" she yelled. Her voice sounded extremely loud in Yugi's head, and he removed his hands.  
  
"Hikaru... it's so soft, that sound, it's not loud at all," he stuttered, confused. By the baffled look on Hikaru's face, she hadn't any idea what was happening either.  
  
She gasped. "Yugi, the yamis!" she cried, pointing to them. All were on their knees now, hands over their ears or clutching their stomachs as if suffering terribly.  
  
"YAMI! What's going on? What's wrong? Yami!"  
  
Taidu opened one sparkling brown eye and murmured, "L-Lyra... is being... rung..."  
  
"LYRA?! Someone has it? Who - who?"  
  
There was no reply from the yamis. Even Ahmose was keeled over in pain. Hikaru flew over to help Kiara up, but the winged girl couldn't do it.  
  
Yugi looked around wildly, blindly searching for the ringer of the bell Lyra. At first all he saw was mist and the outline of the cliff. Then -  
  
A tall lady with long, raven black hair, sad but beautiful eyes, holding a small silver bell which was ringing out sweetly in the night wind.  
  
"Ms. Tsumura," Yugi said hoarsely. She was ringing Lyra. Did Ryou know? Did Ryou... did Ryou... did... Ryou... R... Ryou... know...  
  
Yugi fell face-forward upon the ground as a terrible stitch in his side appeared out of nowhere. He felt a pang of agony shoot through his body, and he cried out softly. Looking around from his crumpled position, Yugi could see Hikaru also curled up and sobbing besides Kiara.  
  
"This is it then," he thought, "we're all going to die here. Chahahka will burn us all..."  
  
"No, look!" Hikaru screamed through her sobs. "Chahahka's Slayer!"  
  
Yugi's head shot up in spite of his surprise that he had been thinking out loud. Chahahka was roaring in more distress than the kids, twitching and convulsing as if being attacked by a seizure. His fiery eyes were smoking, and smoke was coming out of his mouth and nostrils as well. His wings were dissolving... then his legs... then the rest of his body and his head, until nothing was left but a distant roar of "I shall have my revenge!" remained but an echo in the air.  
  
The tri-color-haired boy could have laughed if he hadn't been in such pain. Chahahka was gone - gone! Lyra had banished him forever! They hadn't had to fight after all!  
  
But why was he still in pain?  
  
"Yami... Chahahka's gone... how come everything's the same still?" he asked, staring desperately at Yami's mud-streaked, scratched-up face, which even in the pain of the bell's fatal ring resembled that of a powerful king.  
  
Yami winced, biting his lip hard until the flesh broke and the salt of his own blood filled his mouth, sliding down his chin which rested on the mire. He tried to breath, but it was so painful. But Yugi had a right to know... he had to tell him...  
  
"Lyra is... the bell - a bell of binding," he choked out. "One of thirteen. She is called the Lyre - a kind of harp in your modern language. Her sweet song sends anything living into eternal banishment in the Shadow Realm."  
  
"So how come we're feeling its effects?"  
  
"We're only spirits, Yugi, so we can't be banished using Lyra. There's a different bell for that - I believe it was Ceres, or Sirius... one or the other. But we still nauseatingly affected by it... un-until its sound dies away we'll be in pain."  
  
"But Yami... Hikaru and I - we're - I'm -"  
  
There was no need for Yugi to continue - Yami had had a sudden realization; his sudden, abrupt intake of breath indicated this. He rolled over, flinching, and stared wide-eyed at Kiara.  
  
"They're humans," he whispered to her.  
"Yes, and we're not?"  
"We're not from this era. Kiara - the bell, the bell! Anything living gets sent into -"  
"-The Shadow Realm."  
  
Kiara shoved Hikaru off of her and pulled her to her feet, getting up herself. Yami yanked Yugi off the ground and they tried to stand against the pressure of the bell. Yugi and Hikaru wondered what their yamis were all riled up about.  
  
"Yugi..." Yami stammered, "get out. Get out of here now, or you'll die!"  
"Wh-what?"  
"The bell, Lyra, sends anything living into the Shadow Realm," Kiara answered. "Technically, we're not alive. You're our reincarnates so part of you is us, but the Millennium Items spit up our separate personalities. I'm a shadow of you, or you're a shadow of me. Something like that. But it doesn't matter! Yami's right - you both need to run for it! As soon as that bell's sound disperses and the water from the river comes back, you'll be trapped in the Dead part of the Shadow Realm - forever!"  
  
Horrified, Hikaru immediately began backing up. Then she stopped. "What about you?"  
  
"We'll be fine."  
  
"No, you won't!" shrieked Yugi despairingly, flinging his hands up to his face. "You said the river water will come back when the -" he stopped as both Kiara and Yami gave another scream of intense pain, wondered why he wasn't affected as badly as them, and continued - "when the bell's sound stops! You'll drown! You have to run with us!"  
  
"We can't. We're not - we're too weak right now."  
  
"You'll DROWN!"  
  
"So be it," Yami growled. "Yugi, listen to me! Go now! You HAVE to!"  
"I won't! Not without you!"  
"Yugi! GO!"  
"But -"  
"GO! RIGHT NOW! THAT IS NOT A REQUEST!"  
  
Yugi stopped babbling incoherently amid Yami's words when he yelled. He seemed in shock that his other half had spoken so forcefully to him.  
  
Kiara spoke gentler, on behalf of the terrified look on Hikaru's face and her own agony in her side. "Please go. It's the only way, and we'll be fine. I promise. Please, Hikaru..."  
  
For a moment Hikaru just stood there, listening to the wind, lower lip trembling. Then she let out the sob of one forced to do the last thing they wished to do at the time but hadn't any choice, and took Yugi's hand in hers. She began running towards the shore, sobbing loudly, pulling Yugi along with her. He was trying to fight her, trying to keep from getting ashore.  
  
"We can't leave them, Hikaru! We have to stay!"  
"NO!" Hikaru screamed, the tears flowing down her face and getting caught in her short brown hair. "We have to GO! Even if we stay there's nothing we can do to help them! And I won't let you die, Yugi! I promised you I'd never let you down, and I don't intend to now!"  
  
Yami watched the two hikaris run, his tears mixing with the slimy dirt and blood on his face. "Be safe, hikari..." he uttered, feeling more helpless than he ever had in his lifetime. He heard a strange gushing sound behind him, and just as he had turned to gaze upon the rapid water flowing back to fill the stream, he was submerged with icy river wetness.  
  
That was the last Yugi saw of his yami. As soon as the wave hit all eight yamis, he gave a cry and stumbled behind Hikaru. She pulled him up again, crying with him, and tried again to out-run the water and impending prison in the Shadow Realm. The bell's sound had almost given out, and she could feel the Shadow power trying to suck her through its portal - but she wouldn't let it - but - would Yugi?  
  
She was surprised that she could sense Yugi's will dying, but more concerned about it at the time. She felt like they had formed a bond, and now that he was giving up, she felt a terrible ripping feeling in her heart. Forcing herself to run on, the girl attempted to encourage Yugi to do the same.  
  
"Don't give in to it, Yugi! We can't die now! We're too close! Look - there's Ryou and the others! They're waiting for us on the land! C'mon!"  
  
"I - I can't, Hikaru! What's the use? We can't save Jonouchi and the others without Yami!"  
  
Choking on the lump in her throat, Hikaru looked back with tears and fierce determination. "Yes you can! Just BELIEVE you can! The use? The use is to save ourselves! There are too many people who love us and want us back for us to give up now!"  
  
"But Yami - Jonouchi -"  
  
"There are other people we care about too! Like Ai, Ryou, Dajan, Takehiko, Seto, Misaki, Ro, Tali - everybody! There's always something to fight for Yugi, and this time it just happens to be US!"  
  
Stunned, Yugi stopped and accidentally pull Hikaru back. The water had come crashing down to them ankle-deep now; the first tidal wave had already dissolved. Any second now another one would come, and then it would all end -  
  
Hikaru grabbed Yugi's shoulders and hauled him to her. When his face was an inch away from hers she gripped his shoulders tighter and roughly pressed her mouth against his, their tears combining with the other's.  
  
It was a bit of a painful kiss, but passionate all the same. After overcoming his astonishment Yugi's lips tightened around hers and they shared its sweetness as the water reach knee-level.  
  
But it didn't matter, because as soon as the kiss was broken both Yugi and Hikaru, hand-in-hand, found energy in them they wouldn't have had even on a good day. Somehow they were able to find that last burst of speed, and running from their doom was the only goal in their minds.  
  
Just as the next tidal wave collapsed on the ground to fill the river, Yugi and Hikaru jumped. Higher, higher, and higher, until the only way to go was down. They hit the sandy beach just as the note of Lyra gave out, and shattered in Kamui's hands.  
  
Yugi coughed, spitting sand out of his mouth. He wiped it away, sat up, and helped Hikaru up too. She was blushing very pink, like a sakura blossom in full bloom. They were both panting heavily, and Hikaru coughed twice before looking up and smiling.  
  
"We made it," she breathed.  
"Yes," Yugi replied, hardly able to believe it himself. "We did. Thank you, Hikaru."  
  
Her smile was so bright and cheerful, and a wave - this time of relief - washed over Yugi. He leaned forward. "Thank you for that last means of getting me to wake up and smell the life."  
  
"The... life... Yeah. You're welcome." She kissed him timidly, barely grazing his lips. He beamed at her lovingly, returning her she peck with one on the cheek.  
  
Hikaru was right, Yugi thought, even without Yami, there were still people who needed him.  
  
Under the great looming cliff, Kamui dropped on all fours, the broken remains of Lyra tumbling out of her hand. Shaking, she brought herself to her knees, wiping sweat off her forehead.  
  
She had done it. Her part was finally over. And now... now she could go back and live a normal life with Keikeru. But how? She had just realized that without Lyra, she had no way of returning home! Maybe her brother would let her come on his journey with him, even though she was scared stiff at the thought of going up against a mage as powerful as Zhur. What just did she have? She closed her eyes, trying to block out the many emotions welling up inside her.  
  
All of a sudden, she felt very nauseated, as if she was being shaken around and around. Her whole world was spinning, and she couldn't feel the rocky earthen floor anymore.  
  
At last the terrible feeling passed, and she was able to open her eyes. To her amazement, there was Keikeru Katsura bending over her with a wet cloth!  
  
"Keikeru... but - doshite?" she murmured, eyes wide in wonder.  
  
Keikeru put a finger to his lips. "Hush. You're not the only one with magic." He winked. "I, too, have a little power of my own." It was only then that Kamui recognized the Sealing Magic symbol shining on his forehead. She smiled.  
  
"Thank you, koibito."  
  
  
Hikaru's and Yugi's romantic moment was spoiled by the fervent calls of Ai, who was rushing to them with Dajan, Takehiko, and Bakura. The four of them met up with Yugi and Hikaru in a matter of seconds, and Ai flung herself around Hikaru.  
  
"Oh, Hikaru-chan! I was soooooooooooooooooooooo scared! Don't EVER do that again, did you know how worried I was? I'm so glad you're okay!"  
  
"Ai - geroff!"  
  
"Yugi, are you guys okay?" Bakura, Dajan, and Takehiko crowded around Yugi after stepping over the squirming Ai and Hikaru. "What happened? Where are the yamis? Yugi..."  
  
Bakura was close to hysterics. His fingers clawed through his hair to hit scalp, digging into the skin, but he didn't seem to notice. "The bell! The cliff! That book Hikaru has!" he exclaimed frantically. "It was all just like my dream! Just like it!"  
  
Dajan covered Bakura's mouth with his hand. "Forget it," he instructed, though he looked quite befuddled as well. "Well think about it later. Right now I just want to know what happened to my yami. Yugi!" He, Bakura, and Takehiko all peered down at Yugi worriedly.  
  
Yugi took a deep breath, getting ready to recount yet another tiresome adventure. Then something in the bushes caught his eye. A black figure was creeping towards them, making strange symbols with his hands.  
  
Part of Yugi thought, 'Great, just as we manage one escape, this happens.' He knew this couldn't be good.  
  
"Guys, look behind you," he said, pointing to the figured. Everyone turned just as the black figured leapt out in front of them.  
  
"Šþÿå ê éÉ¥ ïÇÍ Šú!" he chanted, the symbols beginning to form into six glowing silver lights. Each rocketed off his finger tips and in their direction, changing colors as they went.  
  
One turned yellow and hit Yugi's shoulder. He found himself paralyzed for a moment. He watched a white one hit Bakura's shoulder, a red hit Ai in the same place, a pink hit Hikaru, orange found Takehiko, and light blue found Dajan. Each one of them seemed immobilized.  
  
Then a great green light filled the area, blinding them, and the next thing they knew...  
  
***  
  
The river was extremely still, considering what it had just gone through. There wasn't even a breeze to stir up the waters. The sun was shining brightly overhead, for morning had come.  
  
A dirty hand shot out of the water and hooked itself to a nearby rock. The arm belonging to the hand emerged shortly afterward, followed by the body they were both a part of. Wearily, the person pushed himself out of the river and collapsed upon the beach.  
  
Yami's hair was a tangled mess, and he was soaked and chilled to the bone. The mud and dried blood still tainted his face, and now the sand stuck to his wet skin and clothes. He had been clinging to a boulder in the river all night long, and when he found the energy to swim to land he found he could hardly breathe, and each breath was more agonizing than the last.  
  
Very slowly, with the sun's rays casting light upon him and warming his frozen frame, he began to make sense of what had happen, and feel more at ease. Just as the feeling was coming back to his numbed joints, he was finally ready to fall into a deep slumber to re-energize his system.  
  
A shadow blocked his sunlight very quietly and subtly. Confused, he opened one tired, amethyst eye, and saw a man dressed in black bending above him. His eyes were as dark as night, shining maliciously, and his hair was cropped short, matching the blackness of his eyes. He grinned, and bared his pointy white teeth.  
  
"Yugioh," he chuckled with rancor. "Get up. I want a word."  
  
He threw a deck of Duel Monsters cards on the ground.  
  
"They're yours, I believe," he hissed. "I snatched them from your naive, unsuspecting light. Better get them in order, Yugioh, because now..."  
  
Yami gaped as he came to understand what was going on.  
  
"... it's time to duel!"  
  
  
Angel: I can't believe I had to do yet another chapter in two parts... SIIIIIIIIGGGGHH!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE CHAP 7 IS REALLY FINISHED! Wasn't that great? Wasn't it? Huh? Huh?  
  
Seto: No. I had practically no lines.  
  
Himoko: Don't feel bad. I hardly ever talk.  
  
Taidu: That's cuz you never have anything to say.  
  
Himoko chases Taidu around Angel's computer desk. Dajan and Ay hold up a notepad twice their size (they're all like Thumbelinas compared to Angel) which reads:  
  
SHAADI'S MILLENNIUM KEY IS CALLED THE MILLENNIUM ANKH IN THIS FIC CUZ DAJAN AND AY ARE USING THE KEY. DON'T GET THEM CONFUSED. THANKS! ~ DAJAN HADA AND AY THE SAILOR  
  
Angel: Thanks, boys! In case ya hand't noticed, I changed all the dude's names to the Jap ones. You know, Katsuya Jonouchi (Katsuya is his FIRST name), Anzu Mazaki, Hiroto Honda (ditto to the former parantheses)... Well, it's been six weeks since I posted chapter six and I'm finally - FINALLY done. I really need more reviews, peoples! Tell all your friends! Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top?  
  
Yugi and Hikaru: Cherry Blossoms! Chibi, kawaii Sakura!  
  
Angel: Um, yeah? OK, who wants to do the translations today?  
  
Mokuba: Ooh! Ooh! Me, me!  
  
Makimura: You did it already! It's my turn!  
  
Angel: Go ahead, Makimura.  
  
From the Desk of Makimura Fujishima:  
  
yare - oh! ah! oh dear! dear me! aah! thank God!  
sumimasen - sorry, excuse me  
Lyra - a star constellation, also called the Harp or the Lyre  
iie - no  
aishiteru - I love you  
koibito - lover  
imoutosan - little sister  
nii-sama - big brother  
mou hitori no boku - the other me  
Yuriko Tokita - there probably is a such person, but I don't know if she became a poet. In other words, she's fake. But Izumi Shikibu (chap 4) is!  
aibyou - pet  
gomen -sorry  
minna-san - everyone  
maa, naa - oh well  
baka - stupid  
tangannohi - "eye of fire," see chap 5  
urusei - shut up  
amour propre - self-love, conceit, vanity in French  
nanto - whatever  
sakura - cherry blossom  
doshite - what? how?  
  
I'm not doing a CHARACTER OF THE DAY for time's sake. But I realized I never told you what Misaki, Ai, and Tali are wearing now! Naturally they wouldn't still be in their work uniforms or "under-cover" clothes. So:  
  
Ai is wearing a red and white T-shirt and black, pleated skirt with white knee-socks. Her hair is in a ponytail.  
  
Tali is wearing a pale yellow shirt with a collar and Mudd jeans. She has a green barrette in her red-brown Nausicaä [Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä] bob.  
  
Misaki is wearing a navy, straight skirt and a navy jacket. Her T-shirt is light purple with a white heart in the center. Her glasses are just glasses.  
  
Their yamis look practically the same ('cept Himoko doesn't have Misaki's glasses), if you can imagine Madam Prim (Taidu) in jeans. I sure can't.  
  
Next time: Chapter Eight, Koimizu (as told by Ai): I awoke to find myself in a Duel Monsters arena, and was even more surprised to find myself dressed in strange garments! Some evil guy sicked his monster on me, and I used my new super-strength to beat it! YEAH! How totally awesome! But when the evil guy played Talons of Shurilan, I was sure it was all over. Especially when Yugi was hit... poor little Yugi... the guy everything is revolving around... Wait a minute. Pretend I didn't say that. No one's supposed to know about Yugi's purpose... and why Pegasus wants him DEAD.  
  
When will I have chap 8 up? WHO KNOWS?! Reviews encourage me on, ya know! 


	10. Koimizu

Angel: Just so you know, I have a new email address. Well, actually it's my own email address (kibouhikari@cs.com was Kit's), but Kit's email address, the one we decided to use as our official ff.net sn, has been receiving too much junk mail so we had to switch it. So we've switched our ff.net sn to mine. It's HikaruDayDreamer@cs.com so email me at that if you have any questions/comments.  
This is the long-awaited (yeah right, suuuuuuuuure, I know nobody was waiting for it //pouts//) chapter 8 of Hikari no Yuugi. We're finally developing a plot, peoples! Hey, who liked Yugi's and Hikaru-chan's kiss in chap 7? I'm sure all you Yugi/Anzu fans didn't, but I like it! ::giggles:: So obviously I'm putting Yugi and Hikaru together. Who does Bakura get? Heh heh, you'll see! It might not be who you think it is cuz a new character is introduced in book 2 who seems to have a thing for Bakura, but she might really have different motives. Wait, why the heck am I telling you this? I'm showing off, I guess. *cough* Please forgive me. ::blushes::  
Okie, now we know for sure that Malik is a guy. So that's resolved. I'm glad for that because I'd already been planning on making him a boy anyway.  
I'm listening to a song sung all in African... not sure which language in African, maybe Egyptian? I doubt it though. It's on a tape I have... maybe there's the words in the cover thingy... Morake music? Never heard of it... anyway the song's called I Want to See the Moon and it's on the Lion King II: Return to Pride Rock tape. Got no idea what the words mean. -_-' I adore Disney movies!!!! ^-^  
"In da jungle, da might jungle, da lion sleeps tonight!!!!!!!!!" Casia and Kit: SHUT UP!!!  
Rebecca is such an annoying little brat. Sorry, but she is! She's got a lot of spunk, though, I'll give her that. BUT HOW DARE SHE BE MEAN TO MY BELOVED YUGI! CRUSH HER YUGI, CRUSH HER! *cough* I'm done. I mean, Yugi did the right thing by conceding the duel, ya know, to teach her respect and all. I'm so proud of him! *wipes away tears*  
Eh, now I'm really done.  
Disclaimer: I am sooooooooooooo sick of these things...  
  
1. Yami 2. Hikari 3. Millennium Item 4. Yami's Power 5. Hikari's Power 6. Item's Power 7. Color  
  
1. Yugioh 2. Yugi Muto 3. Puzzle 4. Erm... I just call his power the "Power of the Millennium Seal" as in the signature, not the animal 5. Golden Detonation Beam (corny name, I know, and it's not his true power, but... well, you'll see) 6. Sends people to the Shadow Realm, does weird things, activates at Yami's will or Yugi's emotions 7. Yellow  
  
1. Kerihk 2. Ryou Bakura 3. Ring (it should have been the Millennium Dream Catcher ^-^) 4. ESP (aka the Balance) 5. ESP (Balance) and something else... What is it? It's a secret! *mwahaha* 6. Opens portals to the Shadow Realm, can detect other Millennium Items, can combine them (how? you'll see....), and anything else I decide it can do (with author powers!) 7. White (how ironic)  
  
1. Kiara 2. Hikaru Daichi 3. Pendant (not Amulet) 4. Flight/Wind/Light 5. Eh... the light in the night? I dunno what to call Hikaru's power yet... 6. Makes light in darkness, senses when others are in trouble 7. Pink  
  
1. Setsuna 2. Ai Itsuko (her initials spell her name: A.I.!) 3. Mirror 4. Super-strength 5. Also superstrength, sometimes called the "Power of Love" cuz not only does "Ai" mean "love," but she can only use her superstrength when she's fighting for someone she loves 6. Shows other Item Bearers, shows foes, can reverse magic but it is dangerous to use it to get out of another realm cuz you might end up somewhere between the Real World and the Shadow Realm - in other words you're lost 7. Red (in Egypt red signifies evil but Setsuna and Ai are not evil so I'm using it to signify the American way - love)  
  
1. Ahmose 2. Takehiko Midori 3. Sword 4. Fire 5. Flame (how original) 6. Gets you out of sticky situations (I guess), makes the bearer an expert fighter when he uses it 7. Orange  
  
1. Ay 2. Dajan Hada 3. Key 4. Water 5. Eh, water as well 6. Unlocks any lock 7. Light Blue  
  
1. Himoko 2. Misaki Hikawa 3. Spoon 4. Healing 5. Healing (no duh) 6. Stops time 7. Navy  
  
1. Taidu 2. Tali Takada 3. Broach 4. Of neither world, acts as a go-betweener for the... um... fates? 5. Pretty much just a peacemaker 6. Taps into almost inaccessible magic 7. Green  
  
1. Zhur 2. Pegasus J. Crawford 3. Eye 4. Wouldn't you like to know 5. Like I'd tell you 6. Captures people's souls and a lot of other stuff that I don't feel like telling you 7. Shadowy Gray  
  
" " - talking  
  
' ' - thinking  
  
/ - Any Hikari talking to his or her Yami in his or her mind  
  
// - Any Yami talking to his or her Hikari in his or her mind  
  
Hikari No Yuugi  
Play of Light  
  
by Angel  
  
Chapter Eight: Koimizu  
Tear of Love  
  
"This will be the first time I've had the upperhand, Pharaoh," he said, smirking down at the weak appearance of Yami's small, thin frame. "You don't know how long I've waited for this moment of revenge.  
  
Yami was still in a state of shock, and not anywhere near to recovering. He blinked, but his vision was still blurry. He groped around for the cards the dark man had thrown to the ground, and picked them up gingerly.  
  
The dark man, although very tall and menacing, actually looked rather young, maybe a boy in his late teens. His sharp chin jutted out from below his curling lips, his nose was small and becoming. Thick black hair framed his face, and small, dark eyes pierced through his prey's conscious mind.  
  
Yami's eyes widened, and he coughed in sudden revelation. Even though his sight was limited due to the previous occurrences, his Shadow powers were as accurate as ever, and all his senses pointed to one person, a foe of old. He tried to choke out the name, but the words were caught in his throat, and all that came out was a feeble gasp.  
  
The dark figure gave a sinister laugh and stepped forward. He bent down and put two fingers under Yami's chin, lifting his head to face his. "Let me give you a hand," he said, his voice sweet but dark and evil at the same time. "Yes. I am Jyor-lang." He grinned at the horrified look on Yami's face as the former pharaoh lifted his hand and tried to brush Jyor-lang's fingers off his skin.  
  
"You didn't hear what I said before," Jyor-lang cackled, removing his fingers himself. Then he used both hands to grab Yami's collar and force him to his feet, choking him and holding him up to the point where the tips of his toes brushed the sand. "I told you - it's time to duel. That is, if you're feeling up to it."  
  
"Where's Yugi?" Yami's voice was soft but spiteful, and it sounded like he was stressing to find enough energy to speak. Jyor-lang realized his hostage was shivering; he probably had become frostbitten from being in that river all night long. Not that he minded, it would only make his job easier.  
  
"You mean your little, innocent hikari? Why, he's perfectly safe, for the time being. It's up to you how long he stays that way. Now, no more questions. We're going to duel, right here, right now!"  
  
Yami found himself being dragged against his will towards the closest dueling arena in Duelist Kingdom. He hadn't realized this island had been used for dueling during the tournament; it was so cut off from the rest of the islands.  
  
Finally Jyor-lang found the arena he had selected for their duel, and smirked down at Yami who was still entrapped in his iron grip. The pharaoh was hardly struggling at all. Between frostbite and lack of energy, he would make an easy target. "I see you're having some trouble standing," Jyor-lang observed unsympathetically. "Let me give you a hand with that, too." He forced Yami into the dueling box with his foot. Then he rolled up his left sleeve and Yami saw many thin, black belts coiling up his arm, each with different red buttons attached. He pressed a button on his wrist, and chains sprang out of the box, fastening to Yami's feet and waist. With nowhere to go but up, Yami had to reach deep inside to find the strength to stand and not cut himself on the blunt edges of the shackles.  
  
Jyor-lang took Yami's deck and placed it on the deck zone of the arena. "I hope the accommodations of this arena suit you, because you'll be here for a while - or at least until I win our duel." He laughed maliciously. "What's the matter, Yugioh? Not up for talking? I'm offended. What have I ever done to deserve the cold shoulder from the great pharaoh?"  
  
He stepped up to the other dueling box and both he and Yami were lifted into the arena's boundaries. A Life Point count lit up on their screens, and Jyor-lang laid his deck on the deck zone as well.  
  
"You'll find there are some new rules in this game you've never had before," he said discreetly as he drew seven cards and fanned them out in his hand. "You'll want to draw your cards too, or I'll make the first move mine and diminish your life points without waiting. Now, in order to save your hikari and his friends, you'll have to beat me. But it won't be easy, I assure you. My strategies are instructed to me by Master Pegasus himself. My magic is stronger than more mortal beings', and I think even yours, considering the state you're in. And this, my dear pharaoh, is a Shadow Game. A Shadow Game so strong, so dangerous, that none have come out of it unscathed. But I'm willing to risk it if it means destroying you and your hikari. Then I can go on to the others, until no one stands in Master Pegasus' way. It's as simple as that."  
  
"You're - you're not human," Yami struggled to say, placing both hands on the board to keep himself upright. "You talk of - of killing - like it's some kind of game. It's a horrible thing to do! Horrible! And -" he grimaced and shuddered as a fresh wave of ice sparked through his veins, but tried his hardest to continue on - "and I won't let you win. I could beat you in a duel even in your dreams!"  
  
"As I said, there are some new rules that require more caution on your part," Jyor-lang reminded him, his confident grin never leaving his face. "One wrong move and it's all over, for all of you."  
  
Yami growled. "Let's do it, then," he said reluctantly. This was the first time he had been so hesitant to accept a challenge from an evil duelist such as Jyor-lang, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice. He reached up and tried to wipe the blood and dirt off his cheeks. It was dry and crusty, and didn't chip off easily.  
  
He was so cold. He knew it was quite possible he had come down with pneumonia because he had been in that freezing river for so long. Back in Egypt the worst disease he had encountered was Malaria, which had kept him bed-ridden for almost an entire year when he was twelve. He had nearly died from it; he remembered waking up when he was finally recovering and finding his little sister bending over him anxiously.  
  
His little sister, Kiara, had been in that river too, as had all the other yamis. They might be sicker than he, and in an even worse position. Yami gritted his teeth and summoned all the strength left in him. He HAD to help them. Somehow, he HAD to.  
  
"I'll go first," Jyor-lang said after each had drawn seven cards from their decks. "I play one card face-down and one monster in attack mode. Go! Two-Headed King Rex!"  
  
A Two-Headed King Rex (1600/1200) appeared holographically in the arena. Both its heads roared loudly, and flapped its huge wings.  
  
Yami scanned his cards quickly. Several of them he didn't recognize, such as Warrior of Fire, Priest of Light, Angel of the Battlefield (a/n: aka, Clara Barton! J/k, -_-'), Golden Spirit of Horus, and Ocean's Servant. Only one of the cards in his hand was one he recognized - a magic card called Card Destruction. He considered using this, as he had no idea if the new cards in his hands were parasitic ones placed in his deck by Jyor-lang.  
  
He examined his options. If he used Card Destruction, he would come across cards he knew well. On the other hand, these new monster cards all had an attack and defense power of 2000. Throwing them away might be a waste. Plus, he might not draw a monster strong enough to beat the Two-Headed King Rex. There was also Jyor-lang's face-down card to consider. Using a trap card might be perilous.  
  
Finally, Yami pulled the Warrior of Fire out of his hand. At least he could destroy the Two-Headed King Rex before Jyor-lang got a shot at his life points. It would be a quick defeat for him if that were the case. And if the Warrior of Fire did anything that brought him to a disadvantage, he could always recall him and play Card Destruction to get rid of the others.  
  
"Warrior of Fire! Attack Mode!" Somehow Yami found the strength in him to yell his moves like he always had. As always, his personality switched from gentle to harsh in an instant. The pain was still there, but a new fire burned within him.  
  
A holographic image of the Warrior of Fire appeared on the arena in front of the Two-Headed King Rex. At first all that showed up was a black and orange armor suit covering a teenage boy's body. A mop of crazily-styled blond hair came next, and then he opened his sky blue eyes.  
  
"Takehiko?!" Yami exclaimed, unbelieving.  
  
The Warrior of Fire, more commonly called Takehiko, looked around wildly, clutching a golden sword recognized to be the Millennium Sword. "Wh-where am I?" he asked, confused and afraid. He turned around and saw Yami. "What's going on up there, Yami?" He faced Jyor-lang again, and caught sight of the dragon.  
  
"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"  
  
"Oh, brother!" Jyor-lang sighed. "You'd better be finished, Yami, because I can't take anymore of his screaming. ATTACK, TWO-HEADED KING REX!"  
  
A great fireball emerged from the Two-Headed King Rex's mouth, aimed directly for Takehiko. Before he had time to react, Takehiko was blown away by the force of the assault. A loud scream that died away quickly was all that was left.  
  
Yami gaped, stunned. His cards dropped on the table. "No... no..." was all he could mumble. He looked at the other cards and began to recognize their appearances.  
  
Priest of Light was Bakura. Angel of the Battlefield, Hikaru. Ocean's Servant, Dajan. Golden Spirit of Horus...  
  
... Yugi.  
  
"Yugi."  
  
He stared at Yugi's card for what seemed like a long time. So that's what Jyor-lang had meant by "new rules." He had done a Yami Bakura and trapped all the hikaris' souls in cards (a/n: except for Misaki and Tali, o'course). But not cards that had already been invented, oh no, he had gone and given them each their own, special name and characteristics.  
  
Where was Ai's card? Had she not been captured? These were the questions drifted across Yami's mind as he struggled to make sense of it all.  
  
"How did that happen?" he asked at last, glaring over at Jyor-lang. "How was your Two-Headed King Rex able to beat Takehiko? Takehiko had an attack power of 2000!"  
  
Jyor-lang wagged a finger. "Tut, tut. Amateur. I always have to deal with these stupid questions from lesser beings. You see, I created these cards. I gave each of them their own life points - not attack and defense power, but life points. It takes more than one attack to defeat them. They keep the damage they receive until all their life points are gone. Then they are sent to the graveyard. They are all divided into one of three categories - Warrior, Dream, or Spellcaster."  
  
Yami looked down and saw that Yugi's and Bakura's cards were Spellcasters, Hikaru's was Dream, and Dajan's was Warrior, like Takehiko's had been.  
  
Jyor-lang continued, "They are each weakened by a specific type of monster, like Beast or Dragon or Dinosaur. I decided what their weaknesses are. Takehiko's was Dragon. That's how he was lost so quickly. And when they are destroyed by the type they are weakest against, you lose 400 life points!" Jyor-lang smirked and laughed menacingly. "I told you to be careful, Yugioh, but you were always such a poor listener! Ha ha! Now I'll have some fun!"  
  
His smirk widened as he drew a card and added it to his hand. "The look on your face is priceless, Yami," he chuckled. "Don't tell me you're becoming craven now! Where's that old Pharaoh spirit that used to cause me so much trouble?"  
  
Yami narrowed his eyes at Jyor-lang. 'No time to mourn for Takehiko now,' he thought, feeling too tired even for that. 'I've got to play a card.' He fingered Yugi's card for a moment. 'No,' he thought decidedly. 'I won't use his card. It's too risky. I may be being overprotective, but even so...' Finally he decided on Dajan's card.  
  
"Ocean's Servant! Attack mode, to avenge my fallen Warrior of Fire!"  
  
Dajan appeared on the arena dressed in silver and blue with a long navy cape. His golden Millennium Key stood out against his armor, glittering brightly. A turquoise circlet was fit around his head, and his hands gripped a long sword twice his size. He opened his sea-green eyes, and reacted exactly the same as Takehiko.  
  
"WHAAAAAAAA?!"  
  
"Dajan, calm down!" Yami yelled.  
  
Dajan whirled around, his eyes wet and scared. "What's going on, Yami?! Where am I? What happened? Where are the others? What happened to you? Why am I here? How did I get here? Where's my yami?"  
  
"SLOW DOWN!" Yami cried, covering his ears. This proved to be a bad idea as without the support of his hands, he wobbled a bit, so he was especially glad when Dajan stopped shouting so he could regain his balance. "I'll try my best to answer your questions," he said quietly, "but you're going to have to trust me. Jyor-lang, our opponent, put a spell on you and the other hikaris, turning you into cards. The only way to undo the spell is to defeat him in this duel. Takehiko has already been played and was sent to the graveyard."  
  
Dajan gulped. "Gr-Graveyard?" he stammered fearfully. "But you can get him back, right?"  
  
"Only with your help."  
  
The blue-haired boy suddenly grew determined. "Okay, then," he said, facing the King Rex. "Bring it on."  
  
"I'm not sure what sort of attacks you have," Yami said, frustrated, "but it's probably got something to do with water." He looked over at the boy, eyes burning with the familiar resolve his friends knew so well. "I'm sure that if you reach inside your heart, you'll find your own magic. Close your eyes."  
  
He wasn't sure what Yami was going to ask him to do, but Dajan obliged.  
  
"Now think of everyone and everything that you love. Try to gather enough power from that love to give you your own attack. Love is the strongest power of all."  
  
Images flashed across Dajan's mind. He concentrated on everyone he knew, all his friends, family... He thought of Takehiko, lost in the discard pile. He thought of his yami, who was somewhere far off from Duelist Kingdom. He couldn't let them down.  
  
Suddenly he felt a great warmth spread from his heart to his finger tips and toes. It was like great energy had suddenly surged inside him, giving him strength. Finally he knew he couldn't keep it in any longer, he had to let it all out somehow -  
  
"SERPENT TSUNAMI WAVE!"  
  
A great blast of water shot out of his hands, a blast he didn't know he had in him. It hit the King Rex right on target, forcing him back. The Two-Headed King Rex uttered one last roar, and was gone.  
  
Yami's LP: 1600  
Jyor-lang's LP: 1600  
  
"I did it!" Dajan cried, punching the air.  
  
Yami sighed, and almost fell back in exhaustion. "I'm so relieved," he murmured with a slight smile. "Good job, Dajan."  
  
"Yeahah!"  
  
Jyor-lang scowled. "Just because you beat my King Rex doesn't mean you're about to win this duel." He drew another card, and then pulled one from his hand. "I play Anatsu in defense mode!"  
  
Anatsu (1700/1200) lunged into defense position.  
  
"Give it all you got, I'll take it," Dajan threatened smugly, his sword drawn.  
  
"Don't get too confident, Dajan," Yami mumbled, drawing another card. "Jyor-lang's right - one wrong move and it's all over." He glanced at the card and sucked in his breath.  
  
Earth Song was the name of the card - and it was another soul card. It was Ai's.  
  
And it had a special effect...  
  
"Retrieve one creature from your own discard pile and play it in defensive mode."  
  
Yami did a silent victory dance. Even Jyor-lang had to abide by the rules of Ryúnade when creating cards; each had to have its own strength and weakness. That was the Law of World Balance which all creatures obeyed. It was also the law Pegasus was trying to overcome, life and death being part of it, but he hadn't overmastered it yet, so Jyor-lang had to give a good special effect to somebody to keep the balance.  
  
"One card face down, and now... I summon Earth Song in Attack mode!" Yami shouted. Ai's form, foggy at first, showed a dim outline of her body, clothed in tight red pants and shirt and a golden breast plate with shoulder pads extending beyond his arms. Her cape was royal purple and a golden bracelet gleamed at her wrist. Her Millennium Mirror also adorned her clothing. "Her card contains a special effect. I am allowed to bring one monster back from my Graveyard and play it in defense. Be reborn! Warrior of Fire!"  
  
Once more, Takehiko assembled together next to Dajan. This time he was kneeling in defense position. He looked absolutely terrified, but when he caught sight of the gleeful Dajan and bewildered Ai, he calmed down.  
  
"What the heck are we doing here?" Ai said, reverting to her Osaka dialect in her confusion.  
  
"I was just in a graveyard," Takehiko cried, scratching his head. "How am I back in the game?"  
  
Ai looked at him as a bolt of fear shot up her spine. "What game? What's going on?"  
  
"Shut up, you two!" Dajan scolded. He held out his hands to silence them, then explained, "Ai, we're in a Duel Monsters game. We were turned into cards by the enemy, that Jyor-lang dude. We have to duel and beat him to be returned to our bodies. Takehiko had already been sent to the graveyard, but your card had a special effect and we were able to get him back. So now we have to use our own powers to beat Jyor-lang's monsters.  
  
Ai's hazel gaze caught sight of Anatsu and his knives. She took a step back. "Well, s'all good, but how? How do we attack it?"  
  
"Yami's giving orders," Dajan said. "He says we have to look inside our hearts for our own magic. That's how I was able to beat Jyor-lang's Two-Headed King Rex."  
  
"You beat a Two-Headed King Rex? Wau, Dajan..."  
"What I wouldn't give to be a normal kid..."  
"Who's turn is it?"  
"If you would shut up, Yami'd tell you."  
"I'm not doing anything!"  
  
Yami sighed, wondering how much longer the trio was going to go at it. Finally he yelled, "SILENCE!"  
  
The three kids stopped talking immediately, embarrassed.  
  
"That's better," he said, wiping his forehead. "Takehiko, change to offensive mode. I need you to attack Anatsu."  
  
"Nani?!" Takehiko exclaimed, looking totally shocked. "You want me to attack it?! Don't you remember what happened last time a monster and I faced off?! Do you want me to die?!"  
  
"Takehiko, listen to me! You have the strength to defeat Anatsu because it isn't a dragon-type creature! Dragons are your weakness, not warriors! So you are perfectly safe to attack Anatsu." He didn't voice his concern about Jyor-lang's face-down card, but he figured Jyor-lang was probably not going to use it any time soon since he hadn't used it to stop Dajan from destroying his King Rex.  
  
Takehiko looked doubtful, but after glancing at his cousin for some morale, he pulled out his sword and held it out before him.  
  
"Here goes nothing," he said ominously. Taking a deep breath, he lunged forward and with one big stroke of the sword...  
  
"YAAAAAAH!!! SWORD STRIKE ATTACK!"  
  
... Anatsu was felled! Yami, Dajab, and Ai watched joyously as the stricken form of Anatsu sank to the ground as the sword sliced through him. Then, in a mass of glittering light, he disappeared to the Graveyard.  
  
Takehiko's hands were shaking, and his breath was coming in short, tight gasps. Clumsily he turned to face his friends. "Well... I did it," he said breathlessly, a faint smile decorating his pale face.  
  
Dajan and Ai clapped and cheered.  
  
"We knew you could do it!" shouted Dajan, punching the air once more. "Excellent!"  
"Astonding! Amazing! Incredible!" Ai cheered. "You were incredible, Dajan!"  
"Great job, Takehiko!" Yami congratulated, and he meant it too.  
  
Takehiko blushed and tried not to look too pleased with himself.  
  
"My turn is over," Yami said to Jyor-lang, who was looking very discouraged now that Yami had taught two of his warriors how to control their magic. "Your move."  
  
Jyor-lang snickered a secret laugh he reserved only for opponents he wanted to do physical harm to - opponents he hated more than anything in the world. (A/n: even more than leaving the PC to go to bed, like I have to now. ::boohoo:: but its a school night, so...)  
  
(A/N: YUGI IS SOOOOO BRAVE!!! EVEN IN THE FACE OF FIRE, HE'D RATHER SAVE HIS FRIENDS AND YAMI THAN HIMSELF!!! HE'S SO CUTE AND NAIVE AND COURAGEOUS AND TRUE AND SWEET AND PERFECT AND ANGELIC AND I LOVE LOVE LOVE HIM!!!! But how come Yami told Yugi to call him "Yami" in the first Rebecca episode, but then in the latest episodes I've seen, Yugi vs. Malik controlling Bandit Keith, Yugi goes back to calling him "Spirit"? I like "Yami" better.)  
  
"Fools," Jyor-lang chuckled as he drew a new card. "You have no idea what you're up against." He glanced at the card and smirked. "Perfect. This card face down," he said mysteriously. "Now I have two for you to worry about. And next I play Sorcerer of the Doomed in attack mode! He draws out any light-type monsters in your hand."  
  
"Huh? He cannot! Sorcerer of the Doomed has no special effect!" Yami retorted.  
  
"He does now," Jyor-lang answered confidently, "at least, he will once I play this magic card!" He overturned the card he had just played face-down, and revealed it to be Summoner of Light. "Summoner of Light can only be activated when a Dark-type spellcaster monster is played in attack mode. I can see you've never seen it before... that's because it's a one of a kind card Master Pegasus lent me especially for this duel. Now, I suggest you hand over your light-type monsters or I'll take it by force.  
  
Yami narrowed his eyes. 'That's illegal,' he thought, 'but I'm in no condition to use up any energy to send him to the Shadow Realm as punishment. I'll have to do what he says, but...'   
  
"I don't have any light-type monsters in my hand right now," Yami said, puzzled by Jyor-lang's strategy. He double-checked his hand as Sorcerer of the Doomed (1450/1200) materialized on the arena in front of Ai, who let out a scream of how hideous it was.  
  
"There isn't anything, Jyor-lang," Yami reported to his nemesis.  
  
"Oh, isn't there?" Jyor-lang said calmly. "Sorcerer of the Doomed, show the poor, weak Pharaoh how it's done."  
  
Sorcerer of the Doomed lept up into the air with a high-pitched cackle, his cape flaring out behind him. He waved his scepter and red light burst forth from it, heading straight for Yami.  
  
Yami couldn't breath during the force of the attack from the pressure. He fell forward, but the chains kept him from losing his balance. However, his left foot turned as he tried to protect himself and he felt the pain of the twist shoot up his leg immediately afterwards. He wobbled and teetered to one side, leaning on his good leg. This was not a good day. (a/n: I love torturing people I like! ^-^ I like torturing Seto better, though...)  
  
"Yeeks! Yami, quick, look who Sorcerer of the Doomed summoned from your hand!" Ai shrieked amid the gasps of the two boys.  
  
Yami opened his eyes and looked curiously at the arena. There, dressed in white with silverish-blue trim and a white cloth band around his head, was Ryou Bakura. In his hand was a long silver staff with a lapis lazuli center which was positioned under his chin, for he was on the ground. His Millennium Ring was squashed beneath him.  
  
"I tripped," Bakura groaned, sitting up and rubbing his chin where it had struck the ground. "Momentary clumsiness. It's not a perk for me. Um... where am I?"  
  
Everyone sweatdropped.  
  
After explaining to Bakura why they were there, he seemed to get the gist of things and asked Yami how he was brought out if it was Jyor-lang's turn. To this Yami had no answer, but Jyor-lang did.  
  
"My Sorcerer of the Doomed, combined with the Summoner of Light magic card, is able to draw out any light-type creatures, such as yourself, little Ryou Bakura," Jyor-lang explained in a soft but menacing voice. "I hope you had a nice chat with your friends, because it will be your last! Attack, Sorcerer of the Doomed! Black Scepter of Demise!"  
  
Sorcerer of the Doomed raised his scepter once more, this time aiming for Bakura. The silver-haired boy took a step backwards, trying to keep his cool and block out the desperate screams of Ai and gasps of Dajan and Takehiko. Just as Sorcerer of the Doomed made his attack on Bakura, Yami announced his plan.  
  
"Not so fast, Jyor-lang!" he shouted, flipping over his face-down card. "I'll match your attack with this trap card! Spell-Binding Circle! It paralyzes Sorcerer of the Doomed and deletes 700 of his attack points!"  
  
Spell-Binding Circle stopped the assault and entrapped Sorcerer of the Doomed, now down to 750 attack points, in its iron grip.  
  
"Your attack, though it failed, ends your turn," Yami stated. "Which means I now have a chance to attack. I play Angel of the Battlefield in Attack mode! She has a special effect too - any Spellcaster monsters on the field get 500 bonus attack points for one turn when I decide to put the effect into play!"  
  
Next to Bakura, Angel of the Battlefield, better known as Hikaru, rapidly digitized. Hikaru was dressed in white and pink armor with a golden circlet around her head, a rose-quartz gem hanging from the middle. Golden bracelets decorated her arms, and her boots reached up to her knees. Angel wings were spread out from her back much like Kiara's, and the Millennium Pendant dangled around her neck.  
  
Hikaru looked around, just as confused as the other four had been. Before she could ask where she was or how she'd gotten there, Yami yelled, "Hikaru! Activate your special effect now!"  
  
Hikaru didn't even freeze for a moment after the ring of Yami's voice died away. Instead she twisted around to face Jyor-lang, closed her eyes, and began to chant in an unknown language. White light began to shimmer around her petite body, and her hair flew out from the force. Then the light emerged from her and shot down into Bakura and Sorcerer of the Doomed, both of which were spellcasters, and their attack points went up 500 points. Sorcerer of the Doomed went from 750 to 1250, and Bakura went from 2000 to 2500. Finally the light died away and Hikaru went back to normal. She shook herself, then looked wonderingly at Bakura, whose white and silver-blue armor was shining from the excess power. His eyes blazed with fierce determination and he gripped his staff tightly.  
  
"Ryou! Look deep inside your heart and find the power bestowed upon you! It will be there, like a warm, cheerful friend waiting for you to call it out! Just trust me, and trust yourself!"  
  
Yami yelled this all feeling like it was in vain; the boy didn't seem to be listening. He didn't have time to be surrpised that he had picked up Yugi's new habit of calling Bakura by his first name, because just then Bakura went darting forward and swung his staff at Sorcerer of the Doomed. It knocked Sorcerer of the Doomed's scepter out of his ancient, bony hands and clattered to the arena floor.  
  
"PREPARE FOR FINAL JUDGMENT!" Bakura cried as a great white light formed at the lapis lazuli center of his staff. "STRIKE, CELESTIAL LANCE OF LIGHT!  
  
An arrow of light shot forth from the gem and skewered Sorcerer of the Doomed like a needle going through a quilt. In a split second, Sorcerer of the Doomed was vanquished.  
  
Yami's LP: 1600  
Jyor-lang's LP: 0250  
  
The five "monsters" on Yami's side cried out in joy as the life point count lit up, displaying Yami's humongous lead. Yami put on his most confident face and smiled all-too-sweetly at Jyor-lang to remind him of just that.  
  
Jyor-lang's frustration showed on every inch of his body; he was now shaking as badly as Yami had been after coming out of the icy river, but for different reasons.  
  
"Don't get cocky," he snarled disdainfully, eyeing the life point count, "Yugioh, you little child."  
  
"I'm not sure what 'child' you're talking about," Yami responded just as haughtily.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sure," Jyor-lang hissed. "You are just a child, Yugioh, even if you don't like to believe it. 5000 years, of course, is nothing to sneeze at, but your mind has not grown the way your Millennium Item has. You remain the naive, innocent fool you were at fifteen."  
  
Yami snorted. Naive? Maybe, at some times. But innocent? Him? No way! That was Yugi's job. "I think you're a little confused."  
  
"We will see who the confused one is... now, I believe there is one more soul card in your hand, and that would be soul card of your young hikari. Now things shall really get interesting. It's my turn."  
  
Jyor-lang drew a card from his deck once more. His expression was unreadable. Then his dark eyes flickered up to Yami's. "Yugioh," he stated softly. "Are you ready for this?"  
  
Yami stared blankly back at him. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Are you strong enough for this?"  
  
"... What are you going on about, Jyor-lang?"  
  
"Now you shall see just how much of a naive, innocent child you really are." Jyor-lang chuckled quietly to himself; then, unable to contain himself any longer, he let out a loud, malicious roar. "Prepare yourself for my ultimate creature! TALONS OF SHURILAN!"  
  
A viscous creature with serrated teeth and putrid breath was forming on the arena. Its evil eyes glinted dangerously at the five hikaris it had been created to destroy, and a terrible sense of doom settled in the hearts of the hikaris and Yami. Great arms and legs covered in dark armor emerged next, until the picture of death had been finished.  
  
Yami sucked in his breath, gazing up at the monstrosity. "Talons of Shurilan... so the legends are true..." he stammered out in a hushed voice.  
  
Talons of Shurilan (2100/2050) was like a skyscraper above his opponents, and the symbol of all that is evil. His gaping mouth was his tool of death, along with his razor sharp talons for which he was so named.  
  
Jyor-lang was also staring at the monster with a satisfied look on his face. True, Talons of Shurilan had one 100 more attack power than Yami's soul cards, but there was a little twist he hadn't told the Pharaoh yet, the twist that would prove just how childlike he was.  
  
"I told you this was a Shadow Game, Yugioh," Jyor-lang muttered darkly. "Don't tell me you assumed all I meant was that those hikaris become cards. No, this is a real Shadow Game, with a creature's power based on the will of its master. And with my will, I can summon magic that is not even included in the card game. So first off... I command Talons of Shurilan to attack YOU!"  
  
Yami's amethyst orbs widened in shock and fear. Talons of Shurilan gave a loud roar, flexing his large muscles. Power formed at his mouth, glowing red like his eyes. All at once those eyes widened to their limits and the power shot forth towards Yami. The hikaris yelled that it was illegal to attack the duelist himself while there were still creatures on the field, but Jyor-lang just shouted for them to be silent as the assail crashed down upon Yami.  
  
Yami screamed, feeling the wounds on his face and arms reopen and blood pour out of them in a steady-flowing river. The heat burned his eyes and singed his hair, and he fell upon the foot he had twisted, sinking into the jagged chain around his waist. When it was all over he was lying with his face on the board, gasping for air and moaning pitifully. He gritted his teeth, wincing, then panted heavier as the pain throbbed inside him.  
  
Yami's LP: 0500  
Jyor-lang's LP: 0250  
  
"Yami!" "Are you okay?" "What happened?" "Yami!"  
  
The aprehensive shouts of the hikaris brought Yami back to earth from his world of pain. He looked at his cards and saw three of them dissolving. Luckily none of them were Yugi's. He gaped at them, watching Card Destruction and two others evaporate into thin air.  
  
"That attack I commanded Talons of Shurilan to use attacks the duelist directly," Jyor-lang said, stating the obvious. "You lose five hundred points per card that is destroyed through the attack. Since this is a Shadow Game, everything depends on your will. And when the attack fell on you, your will wasn't strong enough to sustain those three cards so they were forced to go to the discard pile. Next time your hikari and the last two cards in your hand will also be gone, and this match will be mine!"  
  
"That is not going to happen!" Yami yelled. "Because I'm playing Yugi's soul card now! I summon Golden Spirit of Horus! Attack mode!  
  
Yami threw Yugi's soul card on to the field. The familiar dazzle of light encircled a certain slot on the field and Yugi appeared. He was dressed in raiment of yellow and gold armor. His shining yellow cape billowed out behind him. Around his head was a brown leather headband (a/n: "Save the Cows" protesters rant outside my window) and the golden bracers from the day at sea formed on his arms. The Millennium Puzzle, of course, hung around his neck.  
  
"Normally only five monsters would be allowed on the field at a time," Yami said, hiding his amazement at Yugi's attire. "However, you yourself said this is a Shadow Game so I can summon as many creatures as I can sustain! You won't be getting rid of my aibyou as long as I'm around!" He looked down at Yugi. "Aibyou..."  
  
Yugi opened his big violet eyes and took in his surroundings. He saw Dajan and Takehiko face-faulting nearby dressed in unusual garments, and Hikaru, Ai and Bakura on his other side laughing nervously, also dressed abnormally. A sense of panic settled in when he noticed Talons of Shurilan before him, and he whirled around to find Yami.  
  
/Yami! What's going on?/ he asked mentally, bewildered.  
//It's a duel, aibyou. Our opponent is a minion of Pegasus, a servant of the Shadow Realm. Jyor-lang,// Yami answered. //He's turned you six hikaris into your own Duel Monsters cards. The only way to change you back is to defeat him in a duel, but we're only up by 250 points.//  
Yugi shook himself. /We're Duel Monsters? I don't get it!/  
//Jyor-lang gave you each 2000 life points to count as attack and defense pints, an elemental power, a weakness, and a special effect. Your element, I believe, is lightning. I do not know what your special effect or weakness is though. You just missed Hikaru using her special effect to increase Bakura's attack power so he could destroy Jyor-lang's Sorcerer of the Doomed.//  
/OK... but what's that monster he has out now?/  
//That's Talons of Shurilan, a perilous monster and symbol of doom. He was hardly ever summoned in Ancient Egypt; he was thought to just be a legend. Jyor-lang summoned him and is using the magic of the Shadow Realm to make him stronger. I have a feeling this duel will be ending soon... after all, the score is 500 to 250, with us in the lead.//  
/One more thing, what happened to you?/  
//...//  
  
Yami chose not to answer Yugi's concerned inquiry. Instead, he began to puzzle over how to defeat Talons of Shurilan. He looked at the boys' cards to see what their special effects were.  
  
Golden Spirit of Horus: GDB.  
  
"Well, that doesn't help me," Yami mumbled. "What does GDB stand for?"  
  
Ocean's Servant: Summon any magic or trap card from your deck that you need.  
  
Warrior of Fire: Attack opponent's life points directly, reducing it by 200.  
  
Yami bounced back and forth, trying to decide which special effect to use - Dajan's or Takehiko's. If he used Dajan's, he could summon Trap Hole to diminish Talons of Shurilan. On the other hand, Jyor-lang was already down to 250 life points, so using Takehiko's special effect would practically ensure his victory, as Jyor-lang would drop down to a feeble 50 points. He scowled at the cards, but then realize what he had to do.  
  
"Takehiko, prepare to perform your special effect," he instructed the young warrior.  
  
Takehiko nodded, trembling at the massive size of Talons of Shurilan. "A-Are you sure?" he gulped. He clutched the Millennium Sword and held it straight up to the sky. "'Cause I'm not."  
  
"I'm sure," Yami said. Then he noticed the secretive smirk playing on Jyor-lang's lips and second-guessed himself. "Or maybe... uh... No! Go on, Takehiko, let's see you attack Jyor-lang's life points directly!"  
  
"You got it!" Flames began to disperse from Takehiko's body, and the whole arena radiated with its warmth. He shouted loudly (a/n: aka, Digimon 04's Takuya Kanbara as Agunimon) as flames spit out from his armor, shooting into the air and towards Jyor-lang. Jyor-lang was able to avoid being hit, but his life points took serious damage.  
  
Yami's LP: 0500  
Jyor-lang's LP: 0050  
  
All the hikaris cheered once more, punching the air and shouting, "Go! Go! Takehiko! Go! Go! Takehiko!" Dajan and Takehiko slapped high-fives, Ai and Hikaru grabbed hands and jumped up and down crying, "Yay! Yay!" and Yugi and Bakura laughed joyfully, smiling at each other.  
  
While staring at his unstable amount of life points, Jyor-lang winced as he thought about his master's response if he lost. Silently he played one monster face-down in defensemode. He needed a good strategy. He scanned the field for a weak spot to get Yami where it really hurts, and found it in a little girl dressed in white and pink. He had made Yugi's, Bakura's, and Hikaru's weaknesses the same - Dark monsters could destroy them with one attack. Today he'd pick on Hikaru and bring Yami's life points down to 100.  
  
Hikaru and the others were still rejoicing over Takehiko's victory when Jyor-lang ordered Talons of Shurilan to attack. "Say good-bye, Angel of the Battlefield!" he shouted, a mad grin upon his face. Talons of Shuriland quickly advanced upon Hikaru, spread its titanic arms, and gave a roar that boomed across the entire island. Red lightning formed in its mouth, and within seconds it was upon her.  
  
Hikaru screamed as the attack came her way, but her friends were louder.  
  
"Hikaru!" shrieked Ai.  
"Look out!" Takehiko cried.  
"It's too late!" Dajan sobbed.  
"Hikaru!" shouted Yami and Bakura as one.  
"HIKARU!"  
  
Yugi was last to make sense of what was happening, but first to take action. Just before the assault reached the small girl, he threw himself in front of it to take her place.  
  
"AAAAAIIIIIIIEEEEE!!!!!!"  
  
Yugi couldn't hear Yami's desperate calls of his name, couldn't make sense of the fearful words his friends were making as the assault was taking effect. When it wore away he dropped to the ground, just barely alive.  
  
"Yugi!" Hikaru sobbed, tears flowing down her face. She grabbed him as he fell and held him close to her, begging him not to leave them. "Yugi, don't go! Please Yugi!"  
  
Her tears were of no avail. Within moments his body began to de-digitize, until all that was left was the Millennium Puzzle, which soon vanished as well.  
  
A great wail rose up from the team, and not just because the score was now 100 to 50. Hikaru cried hardest of all the hikaris; Ai buried herself in Bakura's shoulder. Dajan looked dazed, but Takehiko was shaking with fury.  
  
"How could you... HOW COULD YOU?!" he yelled, enraged. "You will PAY for what you've done, Jyor-lang, you creep!"  
  
Up in the duelist's device, Yami seemed to be in a trance. All at once it hit him, and fresh tears began to flow down his face, messing it up even more. His hikari, the one he had worked so hard to protect, was gone. All because he couldn't think of anything to save him.  
  
Hikaru's small frame was trembling worse than Takehiko's. She heard Takehiko's bold threat, and felt pressure and anger fall against her like someone had pushed a pillow against her face. She stood up from the place where Yugi had fallen.  
  
"You killed him," she said shakily, pure anger and hatred fuming from her voice like none of her friends had ever heard. "You killed my Yugi!" She tore her furious, tearing eyes from the floor and shifted to Jyor-lang. "YOU KILLED HIM!"  
  
With a sudden burst of agility she was in the air, her angel-like wings stretching out behind her. Her face was burning with fierce determination as she came down directly above Talons of Shurilan.  
  
"This is my revenge!" she declared as pink light formed in her hands. She swung her arms above her head and then down again, aiming for Talons of Shurilan. "Take that! WIND OF THE AGES CRASH!"  
  
Her aim was perfect; her attack flawless. It hit Talons of Shurilan dead on. Talons of Shurilan shrieked and smoke billowed from its body, but despite its efforts to stay on earth it was deleted.  
  
With that, Hikaru fell to the ground, only to be caught by Bakura. She opened her lavender eyes and met his deep amber ones. Her lower lip trembled. "R-Ryou... he's gone..." she sobbed. Once more the tears came hard, and she kept mumbling, "He's gone... he's gone... my Yugi, Yugi, Yugi! He can't be gone... my Yugi!"  
  
Bakura set her on the ground, unsure what to do for the grieving girl. He pushed her shaking body against his and cradled her head with his arms. He couldn't think of anything to say to her and she cried into his chest. Perhaps if the circumstances had been different, and Hikaru's emotional outburst of her affection for Yugi hadn't been so clearly revealed, he may have been able to find the words he was searching for to comfort her. Such was not the case, though, and Hikaru was not the only one suffering from heartbreak.  
  
Hikaru's destruction Talons of Shurilan hardly fazed Yami at first; then it slowly dawned on him that his hikari had been avenged. There was no question as to how Hikaru had managed to defeat an opponent like Talons of Shurilan who was more powerful than she. As Jyor-lang had said, this Shadow Game was based on one's will, and Hikaru's strong desire to defeat the monstrosity that had destroyed Yugi had given her excess power and enabled her to bring down a creature like Talons of Shurilan. Yami opened his mouth to congratulate her, but not unlike Ryou, he couldn't bring himself to say anything.  
  
Yami's LP: 0100  
Jyor-lang's LP: 0050  
  
Jyor-lang was shaken ever so slightly by the defeat of one of his most powerful creatures. He quickly recovered, however, thinking it had been worth it to destroy his opponent's beloved hikari. Now it was time to wrap things up.  
  
"Snap out of it, Yugioh," he hissed, throwing a pebble across the arena. It landed on Yami's dueling board and caught his attention; he looked up in time to hear Jyor-lang continue, "It's my move now. I play this magic card, Red Medicine. It increases my life points by 500!"  
  
Yami's LP: 0100  
Jyor-lang's LP: 0550  
  
The smirk on Jyor-lang's face broadened. "I also play Gearfried the Iron Knight - attack mode!"  
  
With a mighty roar, Gearfried the Iron Knight (1800/1600) materialized on the arena in front of Ai.  
  
Yami looked puzzled. Gearfried's attack power was lower than any of the hikaris'. What was Jyor-lang up to? The only magic card he had on the field was Red Medicine, and even that was now being sent to the discard pile as it had already been used.  
  
"Gearfried, attack Earth Song!" commanded Jyor-lang.  
  
The Iron Knight lifted his blades and charged towards Ai. She shrieked long and loud as the knight came upon her and cut her enormous shoulder pads off her armor. Yami watched her designated life points drop from 2000 to 1800.  
  
Now he understood. Each of the hikaris had an attack and defense power of 2000. The also had their own life points like he did, and when their's ran out they were sent to the graveyard. He would have to be extra cautious so he wouldn't lose any of the others the way he lost Yugi.  
  
Hikaru had stopped crying now. Her face was still tear-stained, but she was on her feet again and it seemed as if her warrior's enthusiasm had returned. She was comforting the shocked Ai, who seemed more surprised that it had only been her shoulder pads that had been destroryed than that she had survived.  
  
"It's my turn again," Yami told Jyor-lang unnecessarily. "Ai. Attack Gearfried now."  
  
Ai looked at Yami in pure terror. "I don't know how!" she wailed. "It's all right for the others - their names tell them what their magic is! But mine is 'Earth Song!' What can I do with that?!"  
  
"Yours is superstrength."  
  
The five remaining hikaris stared at Yami.  
  
"I know it is," continued Yami, "because from what I've seen, you've each been given the element of your yamis. Hikaru, wind and light, like Kiara. Ryou, the Balance, light and dark, like Kerihk. Takehiko, fire, like Ahmose. Dajan, water, like Ay. So naturally, Ai would have Setsuna's superstrength."  
  
The girl whose name meant "love" blinked twice, thinking of Setsuna. All the memories came flooding back to her instantly.  
  
The day she put on the Millennium Mirror and the torture began. The way she and Setsuna used to fight. Setsuna's old desire to collect all the Millennium Items, Setsuna forcing her to duel Hikaru, Setsuna half-scaring the kids in Osaka out of their wits and messing up the whole house before Mother came home...  
  
... But those were the bad memories. Tears pricked Ai's goldenrod eyes as she remembered other instances. The day Pegasus had trapped Ai's spirit in her Millennium Mirror and Setsuna separated from it to save her. The day Setsuna and Kiara had a talk and Setsuna gave up her plight to collect the Millennium Items. The day she and Setsuna had offered a peace treaty, and all the times Setsuna had saved her life and hadn't hung around to be thanked for it.  
  
Ai gripped her Millennium Mirror and closed her eyes tight. 'I used to hate Setsuna for putting me through a lot of things,' she thought, choking back tears. 'I remember one time I was scared she'd pull one of her magic spells on my mother whom I hadn't seen for a long time. That day, I took the Millennium Mirror with me when I left for school. It was raining. I went to the bridge above the churning river... I was going to jump, but a voice called out to me. It was a strange lady with red hair, sparkling brown eyes, and the Millennium Broach. Taidu. I didn't know it then...'  
  
*AI REPLAY MODE*  
  
"Who are you?" Ai asked, gazing at the mysterious lady from her perch on the bridge railing.  
  
"Who are you running away from?" the lady asked, repeating the question she had asked of Ai a few moments beforehand.  
  
Eyes downcast, Ai replied, "I can't tell you who. She's made my life nothing but torture since the day I met her. I have to rid the world of her - now."  
  
"Is that everything?"  
  
"How - how did you know there was more?" a confused, sopping wet and miserable Ai croaked. Rain streaked down her thirteen-year-old face, mixing with her tears. "There isn't anything left for me. My best friend was my father, but he's in Kitakyushu and I'll probably never see him again. After my parents divorced, my mom got even more wrapped up in her job than she had been already. I've been on my own ever since." Her eyes narrowed and her lower lip jutted out. "I've been teased and bullied and I have no real friends. The other girls think I'm uppity because I don't like the things they do. I almost joined a gang once... that was how bad I felt... but then I found this Millennium Mirror and it changed everything. I couldn't join the gang anymore because SHE might come out. That actually... saved me... that gang got sent to jail a short time after for taking part in a robbery. Now though... it won't save me ever again. If you run into my mother, tell her this isn't my fault, life's just been a -"  
  
"Who are you angry at?" the lady interruped knowingly.  
  
"I've just told you."  
  
"You haven't. You've told me who has hurt you, not who you're angry with. My thoughts are, you're more angry with yourself. You think you're worthless and incapable of doing anything of merit. Those that I've met who have hated others turn on those who hurt them and try to get revenge. Those who try to destroy themselves... are the ones who hate themselves rather than others."  
  
Ai was unsure of what to say. She had never felt so down in her life. Slowly she got down off the bridge and looked the lady in the eye.  
  
"Who are you to tell me how to live my life?" she growled menacingly. "I can't take it anymore! I can't live all alone! Everything I love is taken from me, what's the point of going on? Tell me -"  
  
"The point," the woman loudly interrupted again, "is that by destroying yourself, you'll break the hearts of the people you love. Think! Life is bad now, but it can't stay that way. There's a brighter road ahead of you, you just need to wait for it and be willing to take it when it comes. You're giving up if you don't want to live anymore! Life is the most precious gift - don't take it for granted!"  
  
She stooped down and hugged Ai like she had never been hugged before. Trembling, she returned the hug, and broke into tears, sobbing in the woman's chest.  
  
"There are still people who love you," the lady whispered gently. "Believe me. And..." She played with Ai's Millennium Mirror. "And so does She."  
  
Through tearing, blurry eyes, Ai asked the lady how she knew about Setsuna. The redheaded one only smiled and gave Ai one last hug. Then she stood up and turned around.  
  
"I don't want to here of any more attempts like this, Ai Itsuko," she said rather firmly, but kindly all the same. Ai wondered how she knew her name. "So young, so fatalistic... remember, She might be feeling the same as you, but just expresses it differently. Consider your circumstances, and hers. See if you can't find a friend in her... and a life worth living."  
  
She began to walk away, her retreating back glistening with fallen rain.  
  
Ai ran after her, her schoolbag half-swung over her shoulder, her shoes pounding through puddles. "Wait!" she called desperately. "Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Taidu. We will meet again."  
  
With that, she disappeared from time.  
  
*AI REPLAY MODE END* (dun dun dun dunnnnnn.... page 17. Enjoy!)  
  
For the next two yeas after that instance, Ai and Setsuna had learned to... tolerate one another's company. Only now had Ai realized just how much Setsuna meant to her, and what would happen if they were never reunited.  
  
'Setsuna isn't with me now. Who knows where she is? But I know one thing for sure... I've got to win this duel!'  
  
Fire blazing in her bright eyes, Ai stepped towards Gearfried, determination written all over her face. She looked at his emotionless face. 'He doesn't look so scary up close,' she thought. 'Now if only I could attack... attack!'  
  
She pulled her fist behind her and with one swift movement punched Gearfried right in the stomach. Her superstrength was definitely powered-up like Setsuna's, and he was felled instantly.  
  
Yami's LP: 0100  
Jyor-lang's LP: 0350  
  
"Yeah!" shrieked Dajan and Takehiko, punching the air. Ai smiled proudly, rubbing her rather sore fist. Bakura and Hikaru were laughing at the antics of Dajan and Takehiko.  
  
"Great job, Ai!" Yami said, trying very hard to be cheerful. He looked at Jyor-lang.  
  
The skies were darkening; Yami prayed it wouldn't begin to rain again. Jyor-lan's was was silhouetted before the gray clouds, his dark eyes shining maliciously. The confident air about him was still hanging in the mist.  
  
Jyor-lang didn't seem to mind his life points once again being lowered. Now, at least, he was in the lead. Master Pegasus would be so pleased, so pleased that he had destroyed the one who could bring about their downfall.  
  
"Fools," he muttered almost inaudibly, "fools, you don't even know what you're up against. You rejoice ove a single, insignificant victory when the real war has already been resolved!"  
  
Ai harrumphed. "Sou desu ka?" she said doubtfully. "How do you mean, coward?"  
  
A low chuckled rippled up Jyor-lang's pale throat and left his thin lips, followed by a longer, more virulent laugh. His hands were shaking in demonic glee, and lightning flashed at the end of his triumphant cry.  
  
"Your end is now!" he exclaimed. "For I have destroyed the one who could bring about Master Pegasus's downfall - Yugi Mutou! With him gone, there is no hope for the rest of you! No hope! The one most essential to the survival of the world, gone! All because of you! You destroyed yourselves! Now you shall be defeated once and for all! Now let the era of Darkness reign!"  
  
Bakura's already pale face paled even more, tinged with gray as he came to understand what Jyor-lang was saying. Hikaru and Ai were shaking, little wails escaping their lips every so often. Takehiko and Dajan were whispering anxiously to each other, and Bakura caught some of their words.  
  
"Yugi? Yugi Mutou -"  
"- Essential to the survival of the world -"  
" -Then - then - he's the one we should have been -"  
"- Protecting, right, but now he's -"  
"- In the Graveyard, and gone -"  
"- We're doomed if what Jyor-lang says is true!"  
  
Bakura about-faced, his large, fearful eyes expressing a yearning for help. "Yami!" he cried. "What do we do? What do we do? Is what he says true? Tell me it isn't!"  
  
The ancient pharaoh shook his head slowly. "I don't know what he means," he said slowly, softly, "but I... I think it's true... I'm not sure how, but I think so... I can't tell you it isn't true."  
  
Fear turned into exasperation. "Then tell me there's some way to get him back!" he begged.  
  
Yami's eyes narrowed. "There is a way. I'll have to draw for it." He touched his deck, summoning with all his might the Reborn the Monster card to the top of the deck. He flipped the top card over...  
  
... and felt all his hopes smashed. It was the Magical Hats card.  
  
"It's not the card I need!" he wailed. Hikaru dropped to her knees, stunned. Ai followed the suit. Dajan and Takehiko looked frozen in time. Only Bakura retained some hope.  
  
"There must be another way!" he pleaded. "Please Yami, think! You've never lost a duel, and you're not going to lose this one! Please don't blank out now! Yugi might not be here, but we still need you! Come on, you're supposed to be good at this! Start using your head!"  
  
For a moment Yami stared at Bakura's sudden outburst. The usually easy-going kid was displaying an assertiveness the others had never seen. Then his face grew determined again, his mind clearer than ever. He looked at the cards in his hand, and suddenly felt his heart stop out of joyous surprise.  
  
"DAJAN!" he exclaimed, anxiety ringing in every word he said. "You're special effect! Summon one magic card from your deck! Dajan - summon Reborn the Monster!"  
  
"RIGHT!" The blue-haired boy was just as excited as Yami, and wasted no time in casting the spell. "I SUMMON REBORN THE MONSTER! EMERGE!"  
  
The card shot out of Yami's deck and into his hand, a lifeline when it seemed all was lost. "YES!" shouted Yami. Then he subdued himself. 'I musn't let Jyor-lang know,' he thought grimly. 'Look at him, over there, laughing his head off like he's already won. He hasn't heard a word of our conversation even though it was so loud. I intend to keep it that way.'  
  
"I play Reborn the Monster," Yami said out loud, stopping Jyor-lang's consistent laughter. "And I play the monster I summoned face-down in Attack mode."  
  
A card materialized upside-down on the arena. Yugi opened tired violet eyes and looked around through a gap between the card and the ground. "Uh..." he murmured. He caught sight of his friends. "Hey there, guys!" he exclaimed jubilantly, his face lighting up.  
  
The five other hikaris had looks of terror on their faces. As one, they ran over to Yugi, shielding him from view, much as Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda had done for Anzu in their second ever duel in the Shadow Realm.  
  
"What're you doing?" a befuddled Yugi queried.  
  
"Shh," Takehiko hushed. "You got attack by Talons of Shurilan and got sent to the Graveyard. Hikaru destroyed Talons of Shurilan and Ai beat Gearfried the Iron Knight. Dajan summoned Reborn the Monster to revive you, and now it's Jyor-lang's turn."  
  
"Um... so?" Yugi replied slowly. "Why are you all surrounding me?"  
  
Hikaru started to answer. "Because Jyor-lang said you're -"  
  
Ai and Bakura clamped their hands over her mouth, Bakura shaking his head furiously for her not to speak. She looked at them curiously, but when they removed their hands she said to Yugi, "Uh, no reason. Yami played you face down, we just want to make sure Jyor-lang doesn't see you."  
  
Which didn't answer Yugi's question at all.  
  
Jyor-lang was drawing a card. He read its instructions, then scanned the hikaris he had entrapped. Then he searched his opponents' face. Yami's breathing was ragged and harsh; he looked relieved, tired, and pained all at once. For a guy who was so weak, he was putting up a courageous battle.  
  
A frown won its way to Jyor-lang's lips. He had expected an easy win due to Yami's condition. He knew the Pharaoh hadn't lost his naivety and innocence just because of five thousand years dormant in a Millennium Item, although Yami didn't think so. Jyor-lang had known Yami since the day he had been crowned Pharaoh, and knew the only thing that made him different from his hikari was his knowledge of the forces of the universe and his ability to do magic. In Jyor-lang's opinion, since five thousand years didn't seem to have taken its toll on the ancient king, Yami was still an airheaded seventeen-year-old, same as he had been when he'd been sealed in the Millennium Puzzle.  
  
That innocence was what kept Yami's heart so strong, and badly frustrated Jyor-lang. While in some cases innocence is a downfall, in others it gives them hope and power to do what must be done. Jyor-lang had thought, when Yugi was destroyed, that hope would be diminished, but although he had taken a small lead it was only due to a magic card - Yami could finish him off any time now.  
  
Jyor-lang closed his eyes, thinking hard. His thick black hair blew a little in the rising wind due to the incoming cold front, his hands could feel the chill of the breeze. He didn't have much time left to defeat his foe. It was time to end this duel.  
  
(A/N: And it's only about time! Welcome to page 20!)  
  
"Your defeat is now," he said, returning to his violent tone of voice. "This is another special card, like Summoner of Light. It's called Bonds of Justice!" He threw the card onto the arena. It displayed a picture of a magician being tied to a stretch for torture. "In ancient times some people thought all magicians were evil and tried to destroy them all. This magic card relates to those times and paralyzes every spellcaster-type monster on the field, face down or face up, attack mode or defense!"  
  
Without time to react, Bakura found himself pushed into the air, his arms and legs stretched as far as they could go by four ropes. He tried to pull away, but the bonds were too tight.  
  
"What is this?" he exclaimed, horrified. "I can't move!"  
  
"Neither can I!" responded Yugi's voice. Bakura tried his best to twist his head to see Yugi. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the boy also tied to a stretch in the same position he was. Both tried to rip themselves from the stretch, but nothing worked.  
  
"What have you done?!" cried Yami as he watched his hikari and Bakura raised into the air by ropes.  
  
"I've already told you," Jyor-lang said with a sigh. "Those two are spellcasters. It didn't matter that one of them was face down, he still got trapped as well. Although I find it hard to believe you managed to revive your hikari. I guess I should have expected it from you, Yugioh."  
  
Hikaru yelled to Yami, "Use a Despell card or something! And quick!"  
  
"I don't have one!" Yami shouted back to her, unable to hide his desperation. "And it's still his turn anyway!"  
  
That was true - Jyor-lang wasn't finished yet. "Next," he began ominously, "I'll play my most powerful monster, even more powerful than Talons of Shurilan. Your defeat is now! Emerge, Beast of Talwar!"  
  
The whole arena shook as the new monstrosity materialized. Slowly but surely it took form, a black figure in shining black armor (a/n: OXYMORON!!!) with a long scythe and glowing eyes. The tool of their destruction, Beast of Talwarn (2400/ 2150) had arrived.  
  
It was huge, almost as large as Talons of Shurilan. It out-matched all of them by 400 attack points. And Yami didn't even have that many life points left.  
  
"My beast is the ultimate weapon of your downfall!" Jyor-lang gloated, his voice carried on the wind and echoing like a rushing wave through their ears. "Let Darkness reign - now! ATTACK, MY BEAST OF TALWAR! DARKNESS SCYTHE DESOLATION!"  
  
'It's over,' Takehiko thought.  
'I wish I could've helped a little more,' Ai sobbed.  
'It looks like the end!' Dajan shrieked internally.  
'I wish I was home, I wish I had never come here,' Hikaru moaned.  
'This is all my fault... If I had only been able to interpret my dreams...' Bakura thought regretfully.  
  
Yami's large violet eyes were brimmed with tears, raindrops of innocence pouring in a river down his face. All their efforts had been in vain. What would become of them when the approaching assault took them out?  
  
//It can't end this way.//  
  
Yami hadn't meant for his thoughts to leak through his mental link with Yugi, but leak they had, and Yugi, though terrified, heard them quite clearly.  
  
'Yami's right,' he thought desperately, 'it can't end like this! I've got to think of something - anything! I have to save Jonouchi, Anzu, Honda, Gotoh, Saito, and Takaya! We've got to beat Pegasus or the world will cease to exist! So many people are counting on us... and I refuse to be defeated now! Not when I've finally met someone I really love! NOT WHEN MY YAMI NEEDS ME MOST!  
  
'Please, I need power to block this attack! Whatever kind of magic it is that helped me save Bakura and Hikaru on that island during the storm, I beg you, please help me again! I need to help my friends, and we can't give up, not now, not now! PLEASE!"  
  
Unbeknowst to Yugi, his eyes were filling with tears resembling Yami's clear liquid crystals as Beast of Talwar brought his sword down. His chest felt tight and breathing was hard, but he could no longer feel the pain where his arms and legs were bound by the ropes. It would take a miracle to save the ones he loved.  
  
A single tear rolled off his face, floating gently down. It was a tear of innocence and purity, a tear of love. Love, the greatest magic of all.  
  
It landed softly on the pupil of the eye emblazoned on the Millennium Puzzle's face. All at once the puzzle began to glow bright yellow, as did the bracers on Yugi's arms. He gaped in amazement as the light got brighter and brighter, so bright that the two duelists, the hikaris, and even Yugi were forced to shut their eyes tight as it grew into a big ball of power. It rested on Yugi's chest, as if awaiting its final instructions.  
  
Somehow, Yugi knew what to say. "GOLDEN DETONATION BEAM!"  
  
The shout was barely heard amid the rush of time as Beast of Talwar's attack and Yugi's collided in mid air. Time and space seemed to stand still as the two attacks tried to outdo the other, but in the end it was Yugi's that emerged victorious. The attack flowed flawlessly towards Jyor-lang, shredding Beast of Talwar to pieces and completely destroying the area around Jyor-lang's dueling center. The minion of Pegasus shrieked in agony as he felt the power of love, its unfailing strength uncomparable to anything he had ever felt, even the Shadow he had devoted himself to.  
  
"WHAT? NO!!!" Jyor-lang moaned, a scream heard throughout all of duelist kingdom. The wretched demon dropped to his knees as the dark duel was finally ended, but not in his favor.  
  
Yami's LP: 0100  
Jyor-lang's LP: 0000  
  
A terrifically surprised Yami, still trapped in manacles around his waist and ankles, watched the light disperse, leaving an exhausted Yugi on the ground, free from bonds. Bakura too was free, and Hikaru, Ai, Takehiko, and Dajan were each perfectly all right, if anything, stunned. Only Jyor-lang seemed beyond astonishment.  
  
'Yugi's special effect,' it suddenly dawned on Yami. "GDB - Golden Detonation Beam?" There were no instructions to describe the usage of this attack, but somehow Yugi had summoned it anyway and brought Jyor-lang to his defeat!  
  
Yami's knees trembled. He wanted to laugh loudly to rid himself of the many emotions bubbling inside him, a feeling that can be quite frustrating and painful if you can't let it out. He leaned over the dueling center, shaking, and tried to force himself to cry, pushing every last bit of disorder out of him. At last he gave a loud sigh that more closely resembled a moan, and felt the peace return to his system.  
  
His tired gaze met Yugi's. He smiled weakly. "Way to go, aibyou. You sure showed him... thank you."  
  
Yugi grinned and mumbled a response, which soon erupted into a great laugh. As soon as he had started, Hikaru joined in, and the other four couldn't help but giggle as well. Soon they were all in fits of hysterical laughter and bliss.  
  
Once the jubilee had subsided, the six felt everything around go dark, and their bodies falling from the ground. To where, though? They had already been on the ground - had the arena opened up and swallowed them?  
  
At last the sensation of dropping to a bottomless pit left them, and Yugi opened his eyes to see blue sky and trees above him. He sat up, blinked, and checked himself over. He was back in his normal clothes! The others were back to normal too, sitting up, making unappetizing, confused noises, and coming to the realization that they had won!"  
  
Naturaly, it was Takehiko who was the first to state the obvious. "We're back!" he exclaimed jubilantly. "I'm me again! No more cape, no more heavy sword! Just a shirt and a pin!" He rubbed the pin-sized Millennium Sword.  
  
Ai and Hikaru giggled and stretched. Hikaru leapt to her feet and began to do stretches, commenting on how good it felt to be out of that armor.  
  
"I'm glad I'm no longer in a dress!" a contemptuous Bakura grunted.  
  
His friends chuckled in disbelief.  
  
Yami watched the hikaris come back to normal in their own bodies a little ways off from the arena. "I'm glad they're safe..." he murmured. Then he spun around to face Jyor-lang.  
  
"You lost, minion of darkness," he declared. "Although even I didn't expect the duel to end so abruptly. What's done is done, though - now release me from these chains!"  
  
Jyor-lang spat on the ground. "You assume I'm going to play fair like your other little dueling buddies! Another example of your naivety, Yugioh! Free yourself, Pharaoh! Or taste the pain of of death!"  
  
With that, Jyor-lang rammed his hand against a button on his dueling center and took off. He jumped down from his perch and dashed away, shouting curses over his shoulder.  
  
None of our heroes noticed this, however, for the button Jyor-lang had pressed cause fire to spurt out from the arena, aimed straight for Yami. Too exhausted to use any more magic, the pharaoh could only wait for the heat and flames to lick his body and bring a quick end to his life.  
  
His hold quickly caught fire, and the smoke billowed from the flames high into the sky. Yami coughed and tried to wrench his ankles out of the chains, but the manacle around his waist kept him in one spot. He gasped for breath and felt around for a button to free him, but there was none.  
  
"YAMI!" Yugi cried, his hands flinging to his face as he saw the arena smoldering and turning to ashes.  
  
"Get out of there!" Ai urged.  
  
"He can't!" a bewildered Hikaru responded fearfully. "He's chained to the arena!"  
  
Bakura looked on helplessly as he tried to hold Yugi back from running into the blaze of fire.  
  
Takehiko and Dajan exchanged a glance, then Takehiko began rolling up his sleeves. "We'll take care of it," he assured their friends.  
  
Dajan nodded. "Right. Don't panic." He was talking to himself more than to Yugi.  
  
Together the cousins rushed to the arena. Takehiko grabbed the burning railing and climbed up the hot steps. As his element was fire it didn't affect him any more than causing him to sweat. Dajan waited at the bottom, wishing he could use magic like Ay to put out the fire.  
  
Takehiko found Yami trying to push the chain around his waist off him, but was only succeeding in making him more out of breath. Takehiko hooked his arms around Yami's singed body and told him to stop struggling, he would help him through this. Yami was reluctant, but Takehiko's touch was so much like Ahmose's that he gave in.  
  
"All right, Dajan, send her up!" ordered Takehiko.  
  
Dajan nodded again and removed the Millennium Key from the chain around his neck. With swiftness and accuracy he flung it at Takehiko, whose years of playing baseball all payed off when he caught it in mid-air.  
  
The Millennium Key could unlock any lock, so Takehiko jammed it into the keyhole of the first of Yami's bonds. His upper body freed, Yami almost fell backwards, but forced himself to stay where he was to help Takehiko however he could. Takehiko shoved the key into the chain of his left foot, and then his right, freeing his entire body. Through smoke and flame Takehiko gripped the Key with his teeth and lifted Yami's petit body out of the arena and then brought him to safety. He clambered down the steps, trying to be speedy but afraid of dropping the victim or swallowing the Millennium Key. At last he reached the bottom of the steps where Dajan grabbed him and helped him over to the others.  
  
Takehiko placed Yami on the ground and then spit out the Millennium Key.  
  
"Hey! No fair!" Dajan scolded, rushing to his Millennium Item and cleaning it with his shirt.  
  
Takehiko shrugged.  
  
Yami was coughing up a storm next to Yugi. Raspy, almost soundless coughs were emerging from his mouth, and he looked like he was having a hard time breathing. The hikaris winced. The very sound of the cough was painful.   
  
After a few minutes of this, the coughs subsided and Yami's breathing slowly went back to normal. The smell of smoke hung in the air, and the cuts on his face stung from the fire. He kept trying to ignore the pain, but it was unbearable and it took everything he had left in him just to stay awake.  
  
Finally, after an unsuccessful attempt to talk, followed by a coughing fit, Yami let out a gasp and a feeble laugh. He looked around as his sight began to refocus.  
  
The hikaris were sitting in a circle before him. Yugi was right next to him with his arm wrapped around him, worry etched over his face. Hikaru and Ai were anxiously clutching hands and looking back and forth between Yami and the fire. Takehiko was on his other side, head cocked, and Dajan was next to him, returning the Millennium Key to its rightful place around his neck.  
  
Yami locked eyes with Takehiko. "Th - thank you," he managed to stutter out. "Y-You two, Dajan. Thanks for saving me."  
  
"Heck, it was no problem," Takehiko said dismissively. "What're friends for?"  
  
"Yeah, we didn't mind," Dajan responded. "Although Takehiko did most of the work." He looked proudly at his cousin.  
  
"It was nothing," Takehiko said, blushing.  
  
"No, it was something," Yami shook his head. "That was really brave. I commend you for your courage."  
  
"Hey, you were pretty brave up there while we were dueling what's-his-name... Jyor-lang," Ai accused teasingly.  
  
Yami laughed. "You were all great. I'm very proud." He shifted his gaze to Yugi. "Especially you, Yugi. How did you do that?"  
  
Yugi blinked. "I don't know," he said ingeniously. "I just focused on surving and helping me friends, and then I just... did it."  
  
"Well, whatever you did, we owe you our lives," Hikaru commented brightly. She stood up and walked directly in front of Yugi. "That's three times now you've saved me," she said. "Once on the island, once against Talons of Shurilan, and then from Beast of Talwar. Thank you, Yugi."  
  
"No problem," Yugi replied, turning cherry red. "You've saved my life too. You totally got revenge on Talons of Shurilan."  
  
Hikaru took a deep breath. Her cheeks turned pink but her broad smile remained the same. "Yugi, that isn't all yo did. Remember in Duelist Kingdom, when you were dueling to save your grandfather and the Kaibas? Well, I was in Duelist Kingdom too for almost the same reason. Pegasus had captured Keikeru, my big brother, to convince me to come to the tournament. After Pegasus ran from our duel and sent my friends and me far away from the castle, I thought I'd never see Keikeru again. All I knew was, you had beaten all the other finalists in the tournament and you were going to duel Pegasus the next day. My friends were doubtful that you'd win, and even more doubtful that you'd ask Pegasus to free the souls he's captured if you did win. We didn't even know if you knew how bad of a man Pegasus is... but together we believed you'd win and know what the right thing to do was. Somehow I knew you'd come through for everyone, and you did! Keikeru came running up to me minutes after you beat Pegasus. You didn't only save me, Yugi, you saved Keikeru too."  
  
Yugi's mouth was slightly open. He hadn't known about Hikaru's brother, but he had apparently saved more lives than he had thought!  
  
Hikaru's eyes were full of mischief. "I made a vow that day, that I'd track down Yugi Muto and thank him for what he's done. I promised I'd thank him so much he'd die from it! So..."  
  
She grabbed Yugi and hugged him tight. Yugi's face turned bright red as a result of Hikaru's warm hug and the fact that she was cutting off his air supply.  
  
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Yugi!" the petit girl panted in one breath. "I was too shy until now to tell you about my vow, but I tracked you down and now you're going to die of thanks!"  
  
Yugi laughed as Hikaru squealed more thanks. Finally she released him and turned to Yami.  
  
"And you - you helped him too, you beat Pegasus and saved Keikeru," she wheezed before throwing herself around Yami too.  
  
"Uh..." Yami found himself wondering what was wrong with this hikari, she was way too much like her yami, Kiara, the queen of emotional outbursts! "You're... welcome?"  
  
The others laughed heartily. Yugi sniggered when he realized Yami was blushing too. It was over.  
  
~*~  
  
"Now what?" asked Takehiko.  
  
Dajan looked at the sky. It was dark as night now, even though it was only mid-morning. "It's going to pour," he said. "We should find cover."  
  
Hikaru released Yami and looked to the river. "But what about Kiara?" she asked wistfully. "I want to find her..."  
  
"We all want to find our yamis," Bakura replied, "but I think Dajan is right. It's going to rain really hard. We'll have to search for them when the storm passes."  
  
Ai and Hikaru reluctantly agreed, and the group trudged to a patch of trees for shelter. Just then, the rain began to come down, lightly at first, but speedily growing.  
  
"Trees are dangerous to be near when there's a storm," Ai stated.  
  
"Only when there's lightning," Takehiko answered. The group sank to their knees.  
  
Yami looked between a gap in the trees. He hurt all over, from the cuts on his face to the sores on his ankles and hips from the chains. Plus, he was so tired...  
  
"Yami?"  
  
Yami barely heard Yugi's voice before he toppled on his side and laid on the ground, motionless.  
  
"Yami!"  
  
Yugi crawled to his alter-ego's side and gently shook him. "He's... passed out," he said at last. Takehiko and Dajan affirmed this, and Bakura smiled softly.  
  
"Let him rest," he said gently. "He deserves it, after all he's been through today."  
  
The peaceful figure of Yami comforted the kids, knowing someone would always be there when they needed him, no matter how bad he felt.  
  
  
Angel: I am soooooooooooo sorry it took me so long to update! Sowwy sowwy sowwy sowwy! But lately I'v been reading fanfics rather than writing them. "The Sickness" by Padfoot is an excellent fic for Yugi and Yami lovers! I love that fanfic so much, I read parts of it three times! Plus, the author doesn't swear or make inappropriate things happen! BLISS! AHH, THE TASTE OF PERFECTION!  
  
Joey: Shut up. When do we [himself, Tea, Tristan, Naoko, Tetsuya, and Ryoku] get back in the story?  
  
Angel: Um... ::twiddles thumbs::  
  
Joey: WELL???  
  
Angel: ::in a small voice:: ... Chapter 15?  
  
Joey: EEEUUUURRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!  
  
Tea: We don't want to wait so long! YOU'RE ONLY ON CHAPTER EIGHT!  
  
Tristan: Technically, it's chapter nine, because she just finished chapter eight.  
  
(Marching band comes in and plays a victory march.)  
  
Hikaru: Let's here it for Yugi! Hip! Hip! Hooray!  
  
Yugi: ::blushes::  
  
Yami: You're making me act pathetic.  
  
Angel: But you and Yugi are so cute when you're pathetic!  
  
Bakura: You're making me a sissy. Well, you WERE. Today Yami was the one that fainted, not me! ::smiles happily::  
  
Yami: Rub it in, Bakura.  
  
Angel: Don't worry, Bakura! You get to do more fainting later on! (Bakura: ::looks horrified::) Next chap stars the other yamis, the Kaibas, the Fujishimas, Misaki, and Tali! Oh wait, Joey-tachi are in that chapter, but they're unconsious and have no lines.  
  
Joey-tachi: -_-'  
  
Angel: WHEEE!!! Shonen Jump came! The Yu-Gi-Oh! manga is sweeeeeeeeeeeeet! Figuratively speaking, of course. KAWAII YUGI! JONOUCHI IS HOT, HONDA IS COOL, ANZU IS AWESOME, AND YAMI IS WAY PAST COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Although the animation isn't so hot in the first six novels. But it's still totally awesome! Of course, I'm only buring SJ for YGO. I think I'll like Shaman King and Naruto when it comes out too, but they haven't yet so I don't know. I wish I could read Hikaru no Go instead of Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Sandland, or Yuu Yuu Hakusho (don't like any of those). Oh well. Who thinks I should sign up for Nakayoshi?  
  
Girls: We do!  
  
Angel: I'll hafta seen what manga will be in that anthology... it'll probably be good though. I love shoujo manga! Shonen is good too, except when the people are murdering each other... dat's so sad!!!!! *cries*  
  
From the Desk of Katsuya Jonouchi:  
  
Ryúnade - the place where the duel monsters are from  
aibyou - pet, what the yamis call the hikaris (dunno if the hikaris call the yamis "aibyou," but sometimes they will in this fic)  
Wow, there isn't anything else this time!!! It's a miracle!  
  
Joey: Phew!  
  
CHARACTER OF THE DAY: (this info is based on my unposted fanfic about Yami's past!!!)  
  
Today's Character of the Day is Pharaoh Yugioh, age 5017. Yugioh, nicknamed Yami, was the son of of Pharaoh Ramses III (well, in my opinion) and Queen Nefertari. He and his younger sister Kiara were the only children of Ramses's favorite wife, Nefertari, because she died of malaria when Yami was five years old, at the age of twenty. Yami had never planned on one day becoming pharaoh, because his numerous half-brothers all wanted the job, and he knew he'd rather just be himself than rule all Egypt, which back then extended from the Sinai Peninsula to Algeria (I think that's right). While in Egypt he befriended Kerihk, a servant boy, Semaret, apprentice to the high priest, and Jono and Tyren, warriors-in-training. Of course, little Kiara wanted to help him pull pranks on everyone in the castle too, but the boys would never let her (typical brothers). When he was eight, he was attacked by evil minions of Grand Vizier Zhur (at the time they didn't know he was responsible for it) and Yami hit his head and lost a chunk of his memory. He could no longer remember his mother or Kerihk. At the age of ten, he met Rise, a dancer who was looking for a job in the palace so she could dance and learn the ways of magic as well. He befriended her and soon his father announced their engagement, which neither of the two friends were all that happy about. When Kiara turned nine, Yami was suddenly stricken with a bad case of malaria like his mother and was in a coma for an entire year. Everyone else gave up on him, and the pharaoh was ready to bury him alive to put him out of his pain, but Princess Kiara hadn't given up and convinced the Pharaoh to give him until her tenth birthday. With help from Kerihk, Kiara met Himoko, a young healer, who gave her a potion to make Yami well. On her birthday, Yami woke up feeling much better, but had a hard time believing he had turned eleven and slept right through it.  
  
Thanks to Himoko's potion, not only did Yami get well again, but he also remembered Kerihk and Nefertari! He befriened Kerihk once more, and also Sahure, Kerihk's new friend. As time went on, he noticed how corrupted Egypt was becoming, and wanted to do something to change it. He told his guardian, Datran the Dark Magician, that he knew the exact remedy for Egypt's needs - a little love. And who better to share love and light than his sister Kiara? Yami knew, if he became pharaoh, his sister would be queen and save Egypt. Yami won the duel against his half-brothers and was proclaimed the crown prince, but his half-brother Pentaware and his mother, Queen Teye, plotted to murder both Yami and the king to make Pentaware king (that part is true, except for Yami being the crown prince, I got it out of a book about Egypt). Teye and Pentaware were executed for attempted murder. Only a little while later, however, Pharaoh Ramses passed away and Yami became pharaoh. He and Kiara wedded (which isn't a sick thing, peeps, cuz back then the pharaoh had to marry his sister because she was the only one worthy to be with the son of the gods; after her he could have as many wives as he wanted) and went on a journey to stop the evil Zhur. Their Shadow Gamer companions were loyal till the end. A few of them died before the journey was over, including Princess Kiara, and Sahure turned bad for a while, until Kerihk was killed protecting Yami. Then he turned spy and helped Yami seal the evil powers in the Millennium Items. Even Semaret, who seemed to have turned evil, eventually returned to the good side to keep the world at peace. Alas, his efforts brought his downfall even though he defeated the evil. Yami and all the other Shadow Gamers were sealed in Millennium Items. He was seventeen years old.  
  
5000 years later, a boy named Yugi Muto would awaken the ancient pharaoh. They became close friends and work together to defeat the evil as it returns to plague the world. All the Shadow Gamers are reunited and ready to take on whatever monster Pegasus/Zhur throws at them!  
  
Yami spent 5000 years dormant in the Millennium Puzzle, but neither his mind nor body grew at all while he slept. He still looks and acts like he had at seventeen, and even though most people wouldn't believe it as of yet, he is awfully naive and innocent. It runs in the family, though - Kiara is an airhead as well. Yami never thinks about himself and it is this purity in him that makes everyone who knows him love him or hate him, depending on their views. Even Seto Kaiba, Kerihk, and Sahure will one day come to adore this teenager with the strongest heart of them all. Yami is the King of Games, so watch out, Darkness, he's going to light the way for the world to achieve a lasting peace! (I obviously adore Yami!!!)  
  
Next time: Chapter Nine, Sennen Sugiru (as told by Seto Kaiba): Well, we couldn't find our way back to the others, so we decided to keep searching. We came to a place looking much like Toonworld and foolishly entered. There we found the unconsious bodies of the captives, but were unable to free them. After all, we still need to worry about our own freakin' behinds! Then we joined up with Yugi Muto's group and I can't believe how soft I'm going around that sleeping Yami... he just looks really cute and innocent while he's sleeping (no shonen ai, folks, you should know that by now!)... ACK! I can't think that about my arch enemy! Meanwhile, the other yamis are rediscovering the past... if Kerihk and Ay can ever stop fighting, that is. Kiara has quite a strong influence over guys...  
  
TBC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
(PS: Reviews would certainly inspire me... *hint hint*) 


	11. Sennen Sugiru Part One

Angel: One week of Christmas break is nearly over. Darn.  
On a happier note, Digimon 04 rocks my world! I'm not sure what I'm more obsessed with, YGO or D04. Kouji is so cute! GIVE US A NEW EPISODE, PLEEEEEEASE!!! WE WANT TO SEE KOUICHI-CHAN!!!!! The Minamoto twins rock! Kouji is cooler than Kouichi though. *dodges tomatoes from Kouichi fans*  
Mwahaha, in this chapter... "The return of Jyor-lang!" BWAHAHAHA! Who agrees with me that he has a stupid name? Him and Iakara and Kutu-shui and Zhong-wan... ::Readers: We do!:: Oh be quiet. Um, BE WARNED! A certain part with Kerihk is quite gruesome, and there is a lot of character death in this... except they all come back to life, no duh, in the 20th century. So don't be surprised by lotsa gore!!!  
OK, about my fanfic about Yami's past... It is lamely entitled "Yu-Gi-Oh - King of Games - Egypt's Pride" so if anyone has a better title they wouldn't mind me using, feel free to share it with me. I dunno if I'm gonna post it. Considering all my OYs (Original Yamis, lol) are in it, I probably won't get many reviews because people don't seem to really care for OCs. (Which is why I'm at chapter 9 with only 17 reviews. *pouts*) If I get enough requests (like 10) then I may post it. SO KEEP SENDING IN REVIEWS! ... Um, please?  
I'm going to be 14!!!! 14 on the 14th of February. 14 on Valentine's Day! Happy birthday to we, happy birthday to we! Happy birthday dear Angel, Casia, and Kit, happy birthday to we!  
To Archangel Elf: You rock! Thanks for all your great reviews! I think you're my most faithful reviewer! ^-^  
Did everyone get great things for Christmas? Tell me what your favorite Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza (do you get gifts on Kwanza?), or any other holiday gift was! We got a YuGiOh board game, and Kit took out the figures of Yugi, Kaiba, Joey and Mai and their card holders and put them on the laptop desk, which is where I am now, writing this. So I get to look at them while I type. The Millennium Puzzle is there too. I beat my bro Danny and my cousin at the game last night! 'Course my cousin quit when I won one of his puzzle pieces, and Danny just never had any trap tiles to play Ikusa with... but still! I BEAT THEM ALL! MWAHAHA! Lol. I also got CDs and books! We got Boggle too, and money, and candy, and YGO cards! I only got one pack though, but Danny (whose almost as into the game as me) got like 5. I was a teensy bit jealous when he got three whole packs from my aunt and uncle and all I got was clothes. Heck, it's the thought that counts. How do you tell your aunt and uncle that the last thing you're interested in are navy sweaters (other than the fact that everyone in my intimate family knows I'm sick of blue) and purple velvet pants?  
Am I boring or what? I'm rambling because I always write my author's note first and I don't feel like going into the story the night before Christmas (cuz that's when I'm writing this) so I'm just going on and on and on... Kit says to tell you she'll put Got a Question? Kit has an Answer! up on a different fanfiction site. Casia says Legendary Warriors chapter 3 really stinks because it's just a lot of Yugi-torture. Suuuuure. Why do we all love to torture our favorite characters? Is it like some rabid fangirl disease? It must be contagious.  
Heh heh... I whipped Danny when we dueled last night. HE MAY HAVE BEATEN MY BLUE EYES WITH HIS STUPID DARK HOLE TRAP CARD, BUT MY DARK MAGICIAN IS MY FAITHFUL SERVANT! *wipes away tears* I'm so proud of him...  
Disclaimer: I don't own Jake's song, "The One," which is a "song special" in this fanfic. It's kind of a song I think they would play at the end of this if it were a TV show episode. I don't own YGO. I guess I own my OCs but they're not really mine... *glares at Takehiko and Dajan who are fighting with pencils twice their size* ... and don't even listen to me... *stares at Hikaru and Ai who are listening to Setsuna tell about the festivals in Midian and completely ignoring the fact that they're delaying Setsuna from getting ready for the fic* Need I go on?  
  
1. Yami 2. Hikari 3. Millennium Item 4. Yami's Power 5. Hikari's Power 6. Item's Power 7. Color  
  
1. Yugioh 2. Yugi Muto 3. Puzzle 4. Erm... I just call his power the "Power of the Millennium Seal" as in the signature, not the animal 5. Golden Detonation Beam and something I haven't named, mwahaha 6. Sends people to the Shadow Realm, does weird things, activates at Yami's will or Yugi's emotions 7. Yellow  
  
1. Kerihk 2. Ryou Bakura 3. Ring (it should have been the Millennium Dream Catcher ^-^) 4. ESP (aka the Balance) 5. ESP (Balance) and something else... What is it? It's a secret! *mwahaha* 6. Opens portals to the Shadow Realm, can detect other Millennium Items, can combine them (how? you'll see....), and anything else I decide it can do (with author powers!) 7. White (how ironic)  
  
1. Kiara 2. Hikaru Daichi 3. Pendant 4. Flight/Wind/Light 5. Eh... the light in the night? I dunno what to call Hikaru's power yet... 6. Makes light in darkness, senses when others are in trouble 7. Pink  
  
1. Setsuna 2. Ai Itsuko (her initials spell her name: A.I.!) 3. Mirror 4. Super-strength 5. Also superstrength, sometimes called the "Power of Love" cuz not only does "Ai" mean "love," but she can only use her superstrength when she's fighting for someone she loves 6. Shows other Item Bearers, shows foes, can reverse magic but it is dangerous to use it to get out of another realm cuz you might end up somewhere between the Real World and the Shadow Realm - in other words you're lost 7. Red (in Egypt red signifies evil but Setsuna and Ai are not evil so I'm using it to signify the American way - love)  
  
1. Ahmose 2. Takehiko Midori 3. Sword 4. Fire 5. Flame (how original) 6. Gets you out of sticky situations (I guess), makes the bearer an expert fighter when he uses it 7. Orange  
  
1. Ay 2. Dajan Hada 3. Key 4. Water 5. Eh, water as well 6. Unlocks any lock 7. Light Blue  
  
1. Himoko 2. Misaki Hikawa 3. Spoon 4. Healing 5. Healing (no duh) 6. Stops time 7. Navy  
  
1. Taidu 2. Tali Takada 3. Broach 4. Of neither world, acts as a go-betweener for the... um... fates? 5. Pretty much just a peacemaker 6. Taps into almost inaccessible magic 7. Green  
  
1. Zhur 2. Pegasus J. Crawford 3. Eye 4. Wouldn't you like to know 5. Like I'd tell you 6. Captures people's souls and a lot of other stuff that I don't feel like telling you 7. Shadowy Gray  
  
Hikari No Yuugi  
Play of Light  
  
by Angel  
  
Chapter Nine: Sennen Sugiru  
Millenniums Passed  
  
"This is your fault you know. If you hadn't been so eager to jump into the water just like that..."  
  
"MY fault? I wasn't the one that just HAD to go check out the inscriptions on that ring! I was like, Oh gee, it might be SAFER to stay AWAY from glowing red objects emitting dark vibes in the water, but did anyone listen to ME?"  
  
"Oh, please!"  
  
The hushed but angry voices echoed through the underground tunnel, scaling the ceiling and bouncing off stalactites back down to the wandering group of yamis below.  
  
Kiara was in the lead, the great black book Hikaru had found tucked under her arm. Her long, pink jacket brushed the stalagmites growing out of the floor, sometimes getting caught. Her braided, rich brown hair blew gently in the breeze coming from the end of the cave where they were heading, looking for an exit. Her feet were numbing even inside of her tall black shoes from the cold of the puddles the group often had to wade in, but she made no complaint. Soft lavender eyes absorbed the glow coming from the Millennium Pendant, which was casting a light to lead the way.  
  
"Who knows where our hikaris are now, and why in Ra's name did Yami and Taidu end up somewhere else? IF they ended up anywhere at all!"  
  
"Hush, you two!"  
  
The princess winced at Ay's acrimonious remark about Yami, and at Setsuna's attempt to keep him quiet so as not to worry Kiara about her brother. It was in vain, though; Kiara's mind hadn't left the fact that both Yami and Taidu weren't with them. She wasn't that much worried about her hikari, although she couldn't help feeling anxious that none of Pegasus's minions had found her, but at least she had seen Hikaru and Yugi make it ashore. Taidu, she knew, probably managed to escape with her immense priestess power, and was waiting for them at the end of the tunnel. Yami didn't have the kind of power, though, and he had been in the river with them, but he wasn't here now...  
  
Ay and Kerihk had been fighting for nearly twenty minutes over whose fault it was that Chahahka had been released. Obviously this was their way of venting their worry for their own hikaris, but it wasn't helping and just made the rest of the group miserable. Setsuna had taken it upon herself to keep them separate, by use of begging, threatening, scolding, or fists.  
  
"We shouldn't worry about them, they've proved they can take care of themselves, and besides, taking a break from the little bakas is actually quite a relief!" Kerihk spat, not entirely being truthful.  
  
"You shouldn't say that! Bakura's your hikari and he loves you, even though you don't deserve to be loved by anyone!" was Ay's heated counter.  
  
"Boys!" shouted Setsuna. "Stop putting each other down! You're only making things worse!"  
  
"Who asked you, Midianite?"  
"No one, but -"  
"Then shut up!"  
  
Ahmose rolled his eyes from his place at the rear. Using his fire powers, he was creating a flame to light the area in the back, just as Kiara was doing in the front. He was in a terrible mood because he was dripping with water and was having trouble keeping the flame going. He leaned over to Himoko and remarked about Ay and Kerihk.  
  
"Isn't there any way we can push them into a push them into a deep pool and leave them there?" he whispered caustically.  
  
Himoko sighed. "The sooner we get out of here, the better," she mumbled, shaking her head. She squeezed her bushy, black ponytail to get all the droplets of water out of it.  
  
"We should just keeping walking and focus on not stepping in more sulfur," Kerihk said irritably, trying to stifle a cough that was developing in his throat from the damp air.  
  
"Yeah, and make sure a certain SOMEONE doesn't hit their head on a stalactite again!" Ay reminded him none-too-nicely.  
  
Kerihk rubbed the sore spot on his forehead. "It could happen to anyone!" he protested. "Besides, don't I recall it was your plan to use the fish as distractions so we could get to the ring?"  
  
"So what?"  
"So you're just as responsible as I am!"  
"I wasn't the one who read the hieroglyphics!"  
"You were too chicken to do it!"  
"No, I was too smart!"  
  
"SHUT IT!" Setsuna yelled. Her voice echoed loudly many times throughout the cavern, giving the yamis the eerie feeling that some unknown watcher was falling them in the deep flow below them. They all stopped in their tracks as a mystic fear entered their souls and then fled back out. Once the echo had died away Kiara reversed her stance to face the group, and her eyes blazed with a strange fire. The whole group stayed quiet, recognizing that look all too well. It was the look she had given the evil priestess Suzuka right before her death. It was the look she had given Kerihk after Setsuna's death. It was the contemptuous look that had caused the high priest Semaret's heart to waver.  
  
She surveyed each of the yamis in turn with a piercing glare. Only Yami would have been able to remain steady when he received this look; the others were all forced to turn away.  
  
Slowly she opened her mouth. "I don't want to see any more fighting," she said, choosing her words carefully. "There's already enough going on without petty arguments. I don't care what your differences are. We're all friends here. Understand?"  
  
Stiff nods from her companions met her inquiry. She didn't miss the heated glower Kerihk shot at her, but when her lavender eyes met his deep amber ones, he sighed and pulled out of her gaze.  
  
"Now let's get the heck out of here," she murmured. She took a step.  
  
At the same time she stepped, someone else did too. She walked on, and the mysterious foot steps followed her. Kiara stopped and turned around, and as she did the footsteps ceased as well.  
  
"Which of you was walking with me?" she asked as her heart began to pound. None of her friends appeared to have moved an inch. She took a breath and began to walk again, and the footsteps began again. She stopped, only to hear the footsteps stop again.  
  
"M... maybe it's an echo," Setsuna suggested. "L... like before."  
  
Then, the footsteps sounded through the cave all on their own.  
  
Himoko gasped as a shadow became visible just ahead of Kiara. A human's shadow. Kerihk, Ay, and Ahmose ran in front of Kiara, preparing their attacks. Setsuna and Himoko tried to get Kiara to fall back with them, but she put out a hand.  
  
"Don't attack," she commanded. The group knew she was searching for the aura of the newcomer. "I know this aura."  
  
The shadow came closer; the footsteps, louder. A pair of shoes splashed through a puddle directly in front of them. Shoes belonging to the tall, skinny body of the red-haired priestess, Taidu.  
  
"Taidu!" Himoko cried with a smile, running up to her friend. They embraced.  
  
The boys looked at each other and began to laugh. Kiara smiled, confident in her skills.  
  
'I knew I recognized that aura,' she thought.  
  
Presently Himoko and Taidu released each other and returned to the relaxed group. Taidu was asked a lot of questions about how she had managed to escape, and she answered them all, though quite appalled at the curiosity of the 5000 year old Egyptians.  
  
Kiara's question put an end to the merrymaking. "Taidu, how come you came in the cave instead of waiting outside of it? Isn't it dangerous?" she asked, an innocent smile across her face.  
  
Taidu's bright, dark brown eyes narrowed. She stepped back from the group, and an air of mystery hung like a dark cloud above them.  
  
"I came..." she began, "... for one purpose. To restore!"  
  
With that, she threw her hands high into the air, her hair billowing in a magical spiral of wind encircling her body. Each of the yamis' Millennium Items snapped from their cord or chain and flew up above her twirling speedily, the Millennium Broach in the center. At last the Broach emitted gold and green light that hit each of the other items and caused them to begin glowing as well. The yamis could only gape, frozen in time, as the light became so bright that it blinded them, and the next thing they knew...  
  
***  
  
Makimura tugged on her big brother's coat. "Ro! Ro!" she whispered louder than normal, tugging harder.  
  
Suppressing the urge to look painstakingly annoyed, Ro glanced down at his ten-year-old sister. "Nan desu ka, imouto?" he answered without expression.  
  
"Ro, I think the magic hot dog worked. We're still together."  
  
Ro couldn't help but smile at that.  
  
At that moment, Seto Kaiba returned with Mokuba on his back, both carrying a glowing torches which illuminated the stone hallway in which they were traveling. Trench coat blowing behind him, Kaiba put Mokuba down and raced up to Ro, handing him the torch. Then he bent over, put his hands on his knees, and panted heavily.  
  
Ro's brow furrowed, worried. "Daijobu desu ka?" he asked anxiously.  
"Daijobu desu," Kaiba wheezed. He managed to grin at his best friend. "I'm fine, really. Just got the wind knocked out of me."  
"Are you sure?" Ro inquired, doubtful of Kaiba's answer.  
Kaiba smiled and nodded, taking the other torch from Mokuba.  
  
(A/N: Oh no!!! Kaiba's almost acting like Yugi would!!! Must go over my list of reasons to despise and loathe S. Kaiba IMMEDIATELY!!!)  
  
Mokuba joined Makimura standing next to Ro. "What now, nii-sama?" he asked.  
  
Kaiba ran his fingers through his perfectly-parted brown hair. "I'm not sure, Mokuba. We'll think of something."  
  
"At least we have some light now," Ro added.  
Kaiba sighed. "But we don't even know where we are."  
"Or where those girls have gotten to."  
  
Makimura's eyes widened in sudden remembrance. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Misaki-san and Tali-san said they found something down that other hall -" she pointed down a dark hallway opposite to the one Kaiba and Mokuba had gone down "- and said for us to wait right here for them."  
  
Kaiba and Ro exchanged a look of annoyance and slumped against the cold stone wall. "I guess that's what is to be expected with girls like Misaki," Kaiba grumbled. "They never think ahead -"  
  
"SETO!"  
  
Kaiba sweatdropped as Misaki and Tali came running up to them, looking positively ecstatic. A breathless Misaki threw herself around Kaiba, took a moment to catch her breath (in which Kaiba stood awkwardly, hoping she'd let go of him soon), and said, "We found them! Yugi's friends! They're here, in this castle we're stranded in!"  
  
"The make inu and his friends are here?!" Kaiba cried, astonished.  
"Doshite?" Ro shook his head in disbelief.  
Mokuba and Makimura gaped in amazement.  
  
Misaki and Tali looked extremely pleased with themselves. "This way!" Tali instructed, pointing down a narrow hall. Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed Misaki's hand and pulled her down the corridor. Mokuba and Makimura also grabbed hands and dashed after them, much to the dismay of their big brothers.  
  
Kaiba and Ro looked at each other once more. Ro shrugged. "Let's go, Seto," he said. "We were defeated once more by the female species. 'Homo feminus' or whatever."  
  
Grinning, Kaiba clapped Ro on the shoulder. "Race you to wherever they stop."  
  
"You're on!"  
  
The two boys laughed and raced after their friends. Unbeknownst to them, a dark enemy was lurking in shadows nearby.  
  
***  
  
'It's a dream. It has to be. That's the only plausible explanation. How else would I get here? Here, of all places... here! With him! Watching my - myself and him settle our differences! It's got to be a dream!'  
  
These were the confused thoughts running across Kiara's mind as she stood on the sand outside an old Egyptian village. The red sun was setting in the distance, and nearby adobe buildings loomed overhead. Men lay under the awning getting a pre-dinner nap, women were making beer on the porch of one woman and chatting quietly. The village was sleepy, and it was beginning to cool off.  
  
None of this, however, was what had Kiara so stupefied.  
  
'This is crazy,' she thought. 'I'm looking at myself!'  
  
Indeed, she was. A ways ahead of her, standing along the shore and silhouetted against the setting sun, she saw herself - around sixteen, the same age she had been when she had died, so in reality she looked no different than the present-day Kiara. To Kiara's eyes, though, she looked extremely different, as she was dressed in the garm of an Egyptian princess. The young Kiara was talking with a boy a bit taller than her, with shoulder-length white hair and sharp auburn eyes dressed in the clothes of a servant. It was undoubtedly a seventeen-year-old Kerihk.  
  
Kiara moved closer to her past self and Kerihk. Neither of them acknowledged her presence as she came behind Kerihk. She poked him, but he didn't make any effort to show he felt her touch. Rather, he began talking in a low voice to the past Kiara.  
  
"You're leaving, aren't you?" he said slowly. "For Ryúnade?"  
The other Kiara looked at the ground. "Yes."  
"When?"  
"Tomorrow. The girls, Ay, Ahmose, and I will ride out at dawn."  
"That's awfully soon."  
"No, we actually made the decision a week ago."  
  
There was a moment's silence. Then Kerihk spoke again.  
  
"Why must you go?"  
  
The young Kiara threw her arms down helplessly as she fought back tears. "Oh Kerihk, we've been through this, I have to go to Ryúnade, it's my duty as Priestess of the Shadow Gamers of Light! My brother, Yami, might be there, and if he isn't... well, the people of Ryúnade will need me even more. Please don't discourage me from going, it's something I must do, and I must feel sure of it."  
  
"I'm not going to discourage you. But why will you only take those few?"  
  
The past Kiara closed her eyes. "Rise and Setsuna were my dearest friends," she answered. "Setsuna is gone now, and I didn't want to risk Rise's safety, but she insisted on coming. Ahmose wishes to come as my bodyguard, and Ay is his best friend." She laughed. "One may be a sailor and the other, a warrior, but they still find they have a lot in common." Her face grew serious again, and she continued. "Jono and Tyren will stay here to lead the troop of warriors under Ahmose's command. As Ahmose will be with us, he knew he'd need someone to take his place, and much as they wanted to come, Jono and Tyren know better than to object to Ahmose's decisions. Himoko, Osona, and Taidu will come as well, Himoko to heal any wounds we should receive and Osona and Taidu to fulfill their duties as priestesses. It's almost as if they're sure someone will be dying in Ryúnade." She laughed again, but Kerihk noticed she didn't meet his gaze. It was like she knew it would be her who would pass away in Ryúnade's lush green hills.  
  
"Yet I..." Kerihk's voice trailed off, and he looked into the sky. "I will be with Sahure, on a quest to find the new pharaoh... your brother. Shaadi will remain in Thebes to watch over the kingdom as we can no longer trust High Priest Semaret. And your brother, Yami... he will be dealing with Semaret, wherever he is now..."  
  
The past Kiara gave a choking sob. "M-my brother," she said as the tears began to flow. "He might not be all - all right... there with S-Semaret... the traitor," she added bitterly. She looked past Kerihk as the last of the azure sky was overtaken by pinks, reds, and yellows.  
  
"He'll be fine," Kerihk reassured her. "Semaret may be working for Zhur now, but you need to have faith in Yami. I'm sure he'll find a way to change Semaret's mind. Plus, Sahure and I are going to him. I promise he will be all right. I'll make sure of it."  
  
Kerihk tilted her head to face his. The present-day Kiara strained to hear his words.  
  
"Aishiteru, Kiara," he said softly in her ear. "But don't dwell on me. I know I will think of you every day from the cold of tomorrow's dawn till the pale end of my life. It is all right for me, but you... You are taking a great step, going into Ryúnade. You must set your sites on your goal for Ryúnade, not on me. Forget me. Promise me you'll forget me, Kiara."  
  
Tear-filled lavender eyes met deep amber ones as Kiara struggled to answer. "How can I promise that which you ask of me? My love is not mine to give. It was stolen away by you, stolen away and I can't claim it back, ever. I'm in love with you."  
  
The present-day Kiara clamped a hand over her mouth. She felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. She had been in love, in love with Kerihk? The tomb robber? Her attention was diverted back to the young couple when Kiara found the courage to continue.  
  
"I won't concern myself with romance," she said in a broken voice. "I promise not to worry about it. With all my heart I'll try not to worry, and with everything that will be going on, how can I do otherwise? But Kerihk... I will never forget you. No matter what happens, that I cannot do."  
  
"Nor I." Kerihk bent down and put his hands on her shoulders, a soft look upon his face, his eyes boring through her. She stared back at him, gently caressing his gaze. Lips already slightly opened, he breathed in lightly and they both began to close their eyes.  
  
He cupped his hands around her face and brought it to meet his. Then their lips locked together, and the she wrapped her arms around him. Both breathing heavily, they stayed that way until it at last became painful and they were forced to break away. Even then, they did not stop smiling at each other. Then Kiara's smile grew bigger and they kissed again.  
  
The present-day Kiara looked on with mixed feelings. She had realized from the start that she liked Kerihk, even with his attitude. She hadn't realized it had ever been THAT kind of like.  
  
The scene in front of her suddenly froze, Kerihk and Kiara still holding together. Then it fell away all together in pieces, leaving present-day Kiara stranded in blackness. She searched around, feeling very faint-hearted after what she'd just witnessed. She was not all that surprised when another memory from the past surfaced, one she had hoped never to think on again.  
  
It was her own death.  
  
The past Kiara stood before her friends, short brown-haired Rise and dark-haired Osona, tattered and beaten from her battle. Rise and Osona looked terrified, but the past Kiara looked just as determined as ever. She was dressed in her light white and pink tunic with her brother's thin, baggy, white pants. Her sandals had fallen off during the fight, her jewelry dangled pitifully from her body. Her braid had come untied and her long hair had fallen against her shoulders, tangled and matted. She was covered in dirt and blood, yet she still looked beautiful.  
  
It became too much for Rise. "Kiara!" she exclaimed.  
  
Kiara looked at her and smiled sorrowfully as she collapsed to the ground. She took a deep breath. "My body is too weak to continue," she said. "In a few moments, I won't need it anyway. I only need to keep Suzuka busy for a few... minutes longer..."  
  
Zhur's Priestess of Darkness, Suzuka, was advancing forward. She was at least as battered as Kiara, but she was taller than the princess too and her rang was longer. Much of Kiara's attacks hadn't gotten through because of her size. Suzuka's long blonde hair framed her face, and her face was cold as a pale winter morning. Kiara's face retained the glow of her youth, when she had been innocent and pure and hadn't gone through any tragedies.  
  
The two girls faced each other for what seemed forever. Ahmose, Ay, Himoko, and Taidu were trying desperately to press through the crowd to get to the site of the battle, the very heart of Ryúnade. Between the two opponents was a tall structure of crystal pointing to the sky. It was from this Chalice of Life that the power of Ryúnade flowed. Kiara was now staring at it, realizing her path. She turned back to Suzuka, and smiled.  
  
Suzuka was confused at the look on the young princess' face. What was she hiding?  
  
A leaf blew from the nearest green tree. Both girls watched it, and both had the same plan. As soon as the leaf met the ground, the attacked one another.  
  
"EEEEEAAAAUUUGGHH!!!"  
  
Swords crossed, fists pounded, blood poured. The two priestesses would fight to the end. One would fall and one would leave victorious.  
  
Light verses Dark.  
Good verses Evil.  
Kiara verses Suzuka.  
  
Suzuka caught Kiara's punch and rebounded it on her, flipping Kiara over and throwing her weakened frame against the Chalice of Life. Kiara groaned as she fell to the floor, but quickly recovered her stance. She picked up a rock and tossed it at Suzuka, hitting her head square-on.  
  
Now Suzuka knew she was not going to survive this battle, but she refused to be the only one lost in this battle. She summoned everything in her and used the spell that would come to be known as the magic card "Sparks."  
  
"THIS ENDS NOW, PRINCESS! LIGHTNING SHOCK OF DEATH!"  
  
Kiara was blown back and crushed against the rock cliff-side. She yelled in pain, too weak to make a comeback. She heard Suzuka's triumphant laughter and the mourning of the people of Ryúnade. Only guardian Duel Monster, Relena the Dark Magician Girl, remained hopeful and knowing of Kiara's plan. Still, in her jade green eyes, you could see Relena also knew what the fulfillment of her plan would mean to Kiara.  
  
The defeated princess closed her eyes and willed her amazing sixth sense to detect the aura of the Chalice of Life. It was so warm and familiar, like a friend she had been waiting to meet for ever so long. She willed it to come to her, to become one with her.  
  
She heard Suzuka scream in pain. The Priestess of Darkness suddenly evaporated, and only her scream remained as an echo. The great light from the Chalice of Life had been too much for her as it bonded with Kiara, and she had vanished, defeated, deceased. Kiara somehow found the strength to rise to her feet and walk out to meet the light. As soon as she crossed it, it filled her system and entered her heart.  
  
From then on, Kiara would be the living Chalice of Life.  
  
The light that had blazed from the Chalice was now extinguished, but it ignited again inside of Kiara. She glowed bright, as if it were all stemming from her heart. It took all of her energy, though, and the pain she felt trying to sustain it was unimaginable. The light burned inside, then reached out and touched all of Ryúnade, bringing back its lost goodness.  
  
Finally, the light came to reside inside of Kiara, and she collapsed to the ground, all but spent.  
  
"Kiara!"  
  
Vaguely she could hear Rise call her name and come running to her side. The blue-eyed girl lifted the princess from the floor and held her to her bosom, softly crying her name. She yelled at Osona to find Taidu, who could heal her wounds. Rise didn't realize Kiara's main wound was fatigue and a weakened heart, which not even Himoko's magic could heal.  
  
"Kiara! Kiara!"  
"D-Don't cry... Rise..."  
  
Wearily Kiara lifted a finger to brush away Rise's tears, and was almost startled to see just by looking at her hand how much blood she had lost.  
  
"Rise... this is just right. Don't worry about me... this is how... it... was meant to be..."  
"Don't say that!" pleaded the girl. "You're going to be fine, Kiara, you're the princess of Egypt! No, you're the queen now! You have to go home, your people still love you, I still love you..."  
  
Kiara smiled. "Y... You all... were so brave... so strong for me... thank you..."  
  
She slipped into unconsciousness as Ahmose, Taidu, Himoko, and Osona joined Rise.  
  
Rise's face was stricken with anxiety. "Himoko! Quick, heal her! Before it's too late!"  
  
Sadly Himoko shook her head. "There is nothing I can do," she whispered painfully. "She used too much of herself to become one with the Chalice of Life. No healing spell can help her now."  
  
Tears dripped down their faces as they watched their beloved princess die.  
  
Kiara took a shuddering breath and woke for the last time. "My brother!" she gasped. "Yami... my brother! Tell him... I love him! Tell him I still love him... I love you, Yami..." Once more she fell asleep, curled up in Rise's arms. Tears pricked her eyes. Suddenly she gave one last cry in her unconscious state.  
  
"Yami! Brother... I love you... I love you... I love... you..."  
  
Then her spirit dispersed.  
  
A great wail came like a wave through the grieving people of Ryúnade for the most beloved daughter of Egypt, right up to the small group huddled around the lifeless form of the princess. Rise kept calling for Kiara to come back, not to leave her. Himoko had healed Kiara's wounds and was now cradling the distressed Rise, trying to comfort her when she herself couldn't stop the flow of tears. Ay was standing in solemn respect, head bowed, but he found himself unable even to cry, the sorrow was so great. Taidu and Osona, priestesses of mourning, fell into their ritual with unusual drama, for this time the pain was real.  
  
In anguish Ahmose dropped to his knees. "I made a promise," he cried. His warrior's body shook and his face was wet with tears like a river. "I promised I'd take care of her, and keep her out of harm! I promised she'd come out unscathed... but I broke it... I broke my promise... Oh Queen Kiara, forgive me! Forgive me, Kiara!" He fell on his face in sobs.  
  
The present-day Kiara watched her friends grieve for her, and felt a droplet fall from her eye. They had all loved her so much, and she had had to say good-bye. These people. These places.  
  
These memories.  
  
"Kiara."  
  
A new voice spoke, and it was one from the present-day Kiara's time, not her past. Kiara slowly turned around and saw the present-day Taidu sadly awaiting her response.  
  
At first Kiara couldn't think of anything to say. Then, "Why?"  
  
"Because you have to know," Taidu replied, her voice full of remorse and guilt. "I know it seems cruel, but you've got to know. I'm sorry. In order to defeat Pegasus, you need to know your past. Kiara, you only had to relive the most crucial times in your life, but all your other memories that you had lost have also been restored. I'm so sorry you had to relive... this."  
  
"Suzuka was a monster," Kiara spat bitterly.  
"Yes. And you saved us all. You paved the way for your brother to seal away the magic."  
  
Kiara's last words rang across her mind. "Yami! Brother... I love you... I love you... I love... you..."  
  
"What about Yami?" she said shakily. "He isn't with us. How will he get his memories back?"  
  
Taidu gave a small smile. "He is discovering them in his dreams," she explained. "At the moment he is unconscious and is being looked after by your hikaris. He just had a duel, and collapsed afterwards. I'm afraid he won't find any rest in sleep today... not while he relives his past."  
  
"Are we all...?"  
  
"Yes. Kerihk, Setsuna, Ahmose, Himoko, and Ay are also experiencing this. Their own memories. I'm so sorry..." She noticed the pained look of Kiara's. "What ails you now, Princess? Have you realized what they are going through?"  
  
Kiara's lower lip trembled as she played with her braid. "Yes," she staid, trembling. "I'm so worried. So worried about Kerihk!"  
  
"Kerihk! Why?"  
  
Kiara slowly turned to look Taidu in the eye. Her lips parted, and she answered.  
  
"Because I remember what he will be seeing, and - and - I would hate to have to go through what he will see even once!"  
  
***  
  
(A/N: *sobs* *sniff* Wasn't that just so sad? I started to cry when I wrote about Kiara's last words... lol! I had a visual in my mind and it was pretty sad... I hope I transferred it right on this paper. Okies, now we switch back to Kaiba-tachi before you guys get to find out what's so terrible about what happened to Kerihk!)  
  
"Misaki, we've been walking for twenty minutes and there's still no sign of... whatever it is you're looking for," a disdainful Kaiba grumbled.  
  
"Hush, Seto," Misaki shot back, her short black hair bobbing. She pushed her glasses further up her nose and headed onwards. Kaiba sighed, exasperated.  
  
The two youngest members of the group were playing a game. They were pretending to be checker pieces, and trying to jump over each other. There were no real rules to the game, but every time Mokuba reached the wall he would say, "King me!" Makimura refused to say such a masculine thing and would cry out, "Queen me!"  
  
Kaiba snorted as Mokuba said, "King me!" for the fifth time. "Anarchism," Kaiba said to Ro. "That's what anti-royalists like me want. 'Pharoah,' pffui!"  
  
Ro rolled his eyes. "Obviously your grudge against Yami has only grown," he stated. "I don't get you. He's a nice guy."  
  
"He isn't a nice guy."  
"Just because he created a strategy good enough to take down your Ultimate Dragon and you had to cheat by forcing his hand to beat him in Duelist Kingdom does not make him a bad person."  
"It does in my book. That and his attitude. His ego is bigger than his hair."  
  
Ro decided now was not the time to put Kaiba in his place.  
  
Misaki and Tali were conversing in low whispers up ahead. Ro decided once more to make conversation with his antisocial friend.  
  
He smirked. "You like her, don't you. Misaki-kun."  
Kaiba blushed. "Yeah, right.  
"You do."  
"In your dreams."  
"And for real."  
"Urusei!"  
  
Ro was still chuckling as he promenaded up to the girls.  
  
"Look," Tali instructed, pointing through a stone window. "We're in a high turret. Down there, that's where Tetsuya and the others are."  
  
Kaiba and Ro leaned over and saw she was right. Jonouchi, Tetsuya, Anzu, Naoko, Honda, and Ryoku were chained to the cold, stone floor, seemingly unguarded. They looked unconscious.  
  
The girls waited for he boys' responses. Kaiba was the first to speak, still leaning forward but turning his head to face Tali's. "But how do we get down to them?"  
  
No sooner had he said this than Mokuba hopped on another stone near the wall and cried, "King me!" The floor began to collapse, and the group found themselves falling through a hole in the floor.  
  
"AAAIIEEEE!!!"  
"Mokuba, what did you do?"  
"I must've stepped on a trap door or something!"  
"AAAIIEEEE!!!"  
"Shut UP, Misaki!"  
  
They pummeled down, falling, falling... falling to what? Their doom? Or something else?  
  
***  
  
The room was extremely dark where Kerihk was standing. It was adobe, and the only light came from the glass-lacking window. A vat lay overturned on the floor, its innards spilling out upon the colorful mat.  
  
Kerihk was confused, and more than a little annoyed. 'Where am I?' he wondered. 'That Taidu... when I get my hands on her, I'll...!" He shook a fist.  
  
Someone was coming. Through the draped door, Kerihk could hear quiet voices talking just outside. Then another loud, teasing girl's voice joined them, and Kerihk could tell it was Kiara and Setsuna outside. He started towards the door.  
  
Then he stopped when the third voice joined back in. A boy's voice. His voice.  
  
"Would you two knock it off?" Kerihk's voice said. The present-day Kerihk shook his head in disbelief. "I can hardly hear myself think."  
  
Kiara spoke next. "Isn't it great that you get to see your little brothers and sisters before chasing after Zhur with us, Kerihk?"  
  
"Yeah, I've really missed them, especially Ismose," Kerihk agreed. (A/n: Ismose was mentioned in chapter 6, part one.)  
  
Setsuna's voice rang out shrilly, louder than the others. "Well, what are you waiting for, moron? Go on! I'm sure they're dying to see you."  
  
The present-day Kerihk backed away as the past Kerihk, Kiara, and Setsuna walked into the home.  
  
His foot stumbled upon something soft. The present-day Kerihk winced and shut his eyes tight, wishing - no, praying that when he opened them he wouldn't see what he thought he was going to see. Praying that his past self and friends wouldn't say what he thought they would say. Praying everything would be all right and he wasn't where he thought he was.  
  
"Dad? Thutmose, Lena, Naila, Ismose? It's me, I'm home! Hey, isn't anybody there -"  
  
Kerihk moaned when he heard the abrupt end to the past Kerihk's statement. Tears welled up his eyes and a deep hatred stirred in his heart.  
  
The past Kerihk was staring, wide-eyed, around his house. "Wh-what the heck... what in Egypt is - is this...?"  
  
Setsuna and Kiara were fighting playfully outside. Still giggling, they joined the past Kerihk in his house, stumbling in and laughing. The laugh soon subsided however, when they noticed their surroundings.  
  
"Omigosh, Kerihk," Setsuna said, unbelieving. "What h-happened?"  
  
Kiara's hands covered her mouth, and she couldn't say anything but, "Oh no..."  
  
The present-day Kerihk decided to take a chance and opened his eyes. The first thing he looked for was what he had stepped on. He bent down.  
  
It was a badly-sewn doll, covered in a child's blood.  
  
The past Kerihk began to sob angrily, shaking with fury. "Who did this?!" he demanded to know. "Who would DO such a thing?!"  
  
"Kerihk!" cried Kiara, tears falling down her face. The others, including the present-day Kerihk, began to do likewise.  
  
Kerihk's family, from his father, Hotep, to his youngest sister, Ismose, were all dead. His mother, Teti, had died when he was around twelve, so they were all that was left. Hotep was lying on his back, covered with slash marks from a sword. The oldest of Kerihk's younger siblings, Thutmose, was draped over a chair, bright red blood flowing freely from his neck. Lena was on his side, a deep gash in his legs and chest. Naila's stomach had been ripped open, and she had died long ago. It looked as if the only one still alive was the youngest, Ismose.  
  
Tears sprang from the past Kerihk's eyes. "Why? WHY?!" he shrieked, falling to his knees. "Why would anyone DO something like this? WHO would DO this?!"  
  
Kiara burst out in heavier sobs. Setsuna grabbed her and pressed her to herself, instructing, "Don't look!"  
  
"K... Keri... hk..."  
  
The past Kerihk jolted to his senses when toddler Ismose's pitiful but sweet voice somehow found the strength to call out to him. "Ismose!" he cried, running to her side and picking up her bloodied body. She was limp and pale in his arms, but she smiled warmly as he cradled her.  
  
'Ismose,' thought the present-day Kerihk. 'I remember now. Mother died just after she was born, so I did my best to raise her... With Dad gone on tomb raids most of the time, I was all she had..."  
  
"Ismose! Hold on!" pleaded the past Kerihk.  
"Kerihk... I'm so glad... you're home," Ismose struggled to speak.  
"Shh! Quiet now. I'm going to take care of you," Kerihk whispered. It was painful just for Kiara and Setsuna to watch, for they knew there was no way Ismose would survive. "Who did this, little sister? Who was it?"  
Ismose couldn't make sense of his words. "I missed you... big brother. I had a present for you..."  
  
The present day Kerihk looked down at the clumsily sewn doll he had stepped on. That was all it took for the tears to fall unceasingly.  
  
"Izzy! Just hang in there, you'll be all right! Ismose!"  
The young girl, who, like her siblings, shared the family's soft, silver hair, spoke again. "I'm so happy you're back... we'll be together now, won't we?"  
The past Kerihk was trembling with grief. "Yes... Yes! We'll always be together! I'll never leave you, Ismose, never! I promise! Just please, stay alive! Ismose, please!"  
  
"Kerihk!" Kiara begged, bursting with pain, trying to tear him from his sorrow.  
  
Ismose's smile never left her face. "That's good," she said. "Now we can be together... you, me, Mom, Dad, my brothers and sister..." She lifted her hand to Kerihk's tear-streaked face. "Together... Ker... ihk..."  
  
Her hand fell limp to the ground.  
  
Kiara and Setsuna rushed to the stunned Kerihk's side. He let out a loud wail that pierced the air. Doubled over with pain and sorrow, the girls could do nothing to comfort him.  
  
The present-day Kerihk picked up the doll Ismose had sewn for him and pressed it to his chest. He could feel the love the toddler had put in to make it for him. "Why?" he asked the wind. "Why?! Why did it have to end that way? She was only three, much too young to die! Why, Kutu-shui, did you do this?"  
  
For now he found he could remember what had happened. He had fought a battle against one of Zhur's Shadow Gamers, Kutu-shui, and won. Kutu-shui had been searching for revenge, and he destroyed Kerihk's entire family.  
  
He cried as he remembered Kutu-shui showing up in his house after he'd discovered the tragedy. He cried as he thought of the reckless, angry battle he had fought with Kutu-shui for his own revenge. He cried as he remembered, having cornered Kutu-shui, sword in hand, being stopped from killing him.  
  
Yami and the others had shown up, and now Yami had come to his side and grabbed the sword, keeping Kerihk from killing Kutu-shui. Yami begged Kerihk not to sink to Kutu-shui's level as a murderer. He told him he knew it was hard, but killing Kutu-shui wouldn't solve anything. Yami's face had been just as wet as his as he tried to reason with the injured boy.  
  
All at once, the scene around him faded, as did the doll in his hand. He watched it go, suddenly realizing how much he and his hikari really did relate. Both of them had lost their mother at a young age, and their little sisters; in Kerihk's case, brothers also. Both of them had a father who was always away after the mother's death and hardly seemed to want to have anything to do with the kids.  
  
Bakura sometimes reminded him of Ismose. He was always smiling and never complained. Maybe it had been because Bakura had seemed so much like Ismose and reminded him so much of the one he missed most that Kerihk had treated the boy so badly. Something in his past drove him to hurt the one who loved him, because he was afraid to love again.  
  
A new scene was unfolding before him. Kerihk looked around the new landscape. 'This must be Algeria, where Zhur's base was,' he thought. Zhur himself, with his long silver hair folding over his shoulders and one eye replaced with the Millennium Eye, looked tall and menacing in the gloom. His followers, including the High Priest Semaret and a treacherous Shadow Gamer of Light, Sahure, stood by his side, all smirking confidently. Kerihk peered through them and saw himself and a seventeen-year-old Yami on the ground before them.  
  
Kerihk's eyes traveled to Sahure, whose spiky blonde hair and sharp azure eyes had always caused the ladies to flirt consistently with, and whose tall, broad figure made him seem a protective figure who would always fight for his friends. Sahure and Semaret had posed a Shadow Game to decide who would get the Millennium Rod, and Semaret had won, so he carried it now. Kerihk knew that eventually Semaret would return to Yami's side and the Millennium Rod would be handed over to Sahure. The blonde Shadow Gamer of Light, though he had previously told the past Kerihk that he was sorry he had betrayed them and wished it had never happened, would never return to Yami's side out of fear that the others wouldn't accept him. It was that fear that drove him to his end.  
  
Now, Zhur was speaking to Yami. "Your little sister destroyed my Priestess, Suzuka," he said haughtily. "However, she destroyed herself in the process."  
  
Yami looked at the ground, thinking of Kiara, and how he had buried the Millennium Pendant after meeting up with Ahmose and the others.  
  
"Isn't it convenient that you and I, the Priest of Darkness and the Priest of Light, should be here now, ready to fight each other?" Zhur laughed as if it was amusing. "But I assure you, little prince, I will come out of this alive and unhurt, and you shall die."  
  
"Yami isn't a prince!" the past Kerihk hissed. "He's a pharaoh. Your pharaoh. You should be bowing to him, not threatening him!"  
  
Yami put out a hand to silence Kerihk. He tried to stand, but there was a deep gash in his leg and he wobbled uncertainly.  
  
"Zhur," he said virulently. "My father trusted you as his grand vizier, and you betrayed that trust. But if you would turn from your evil ways and promise allegiance to Egypt, I will forgive you and give you back your post."  
  
Zhur laughed and threw back his head. His followers also laughed as if Yami had asked the most hilarious thing in the world.  
  
"Forgive me?" Zhur chuckled. "You will be the one begging ME for forgiveness before this is over! But I have toyed with you long enough. I hope you're prepared enough for the Afterlife, Yami. We won't pay for your embalming."  
  
Yami clenched his teeth. "We Shadow Gamers of Light gave up the superstition of the Afterlife and the gods long ago," he stated.  
  
"Rebellious, eh? Ahh, little prince. So courageous, so defiant. Is there anything that can dampen your spirits? Oh... I suppose there is."  
  
He had been handed a bow and quiver of arrows by one of his supporters. He notched an arrow to the bow and drew back his hand, obviously taking his time. "Say good-bye to your little friend, Pharaoh," he mocked. "But I'm sure you'll be meeting each other soon... in death!"  
  
He let go of the arrow and it flew towards its mark.  
  
Yami was too weak to move out of the way, but the past Kerihk had spent the battle between Zhur and Yami hiding in the bushes, as he had been instructed. Now, he dove out and jumped in front of Zhur's aim, taking the arrow in the chest. He cried out as grueling pain shot to his heart.  
  
"Kerihk!" Yami shouted, catching the boy as he fell to the ground. He began to yank the arrow out of Kerihk's chest.  
  
"Leave it!" Kerihk demanded. His auburn eyes met Yami's amethyst ones. Yami cried for his closest friend as he held him. "I am dying. I don't have a purpose in this life any more. I will go and see who was right... our people, about their gods and the Afterlife, or Setsuna and her belief in the One God above all, or Sahure's belief that their is no God, and we all turn to dust when we die... If that is the case then let no one plant crops in the dust of my body or it will be cursed!"  
  
Yami was shocked and afraid by Kerihk's deathbed wish. He opened his mouth to speak. "You shouldn't have jumped in the way! I would have been -"  
  
"Hit," Kerihk finished, and Yami clamped his mouth shut. Kerihk tried to smile while reaching up and touching Yami's face. "I'm just glad you're okay. Yami - you have to save this world. I always encouraged you to become pharaoh one day. I always believed... you would be the one to do it. I still believe in you. Go, Yami. Save the world."  
  
"I will," Yami promised. "I will!"  
  
The memory faded as the past Kerihk took his last breath. The present-day Kerihk couldn't remember if he'd ever discovered what really happens after death. Probably his soul had immediately been sealed in the Millennium Ring. Kerihk remembered how he and Yami had been so close, almost like brothers. They had first met when they were six, and had bonded from that day forward.  
  
So many things had changed. Thanks to his loss of memory, Kerihk had convinced himself he needed to collect all the Millennium Items to be truly happy, and that everyone, especially Yami, were his enemies. Now he realized how wrong he had been.  
  
"Oh my gosh..." he sobbed. "Is it too late to start again? I - I really want to... Bakura, aibyou... give me a second chance, please! I'm sorry... I had forgotten..." His memory spun back to the day his family had been killed by Kutu-shui, and he fell on his face, crying.  
  
It was pathetic, and as Taidu came towards him, her heart melted at the sight. She reached down and put a hand on his head. He looked up at her, tears dripping off his sharp chin.  
  
"Stand up, Kerihk, son of Hotep and Teti," she said, sympathy in her voice. "Don't be grieved. These are things of the past that you needed to know. Do not dwell on them, do not be troubled by them. There are better things waiting for you if you could only grasp them."  
  
Kerihk stood up and stared into her dark brown eyes. "Taidu, is it too late for me to begin again?" he croaked. "With Bakura, I mean. I haven't treated him the way he deserves... please tell me there is still time."  
  
Taidu smiled. "There is always time," she said, running her fingers through his snowy hair. "He loves you, and only wants to be shown love back. I'm glad you've come to realize this."  
  
Kerihk nodded, and looked at the sky, praying his hikari was all right, and would forgive him if he asked. 


	12. Sennen Sugiru Part Two

Kaiba landed on his head on a cold stone floor. Luckily there was some hay to break his fall, but before he could get up, Ro, Misaki, Tali, Makimura, and Mokuba came tumbling down on top of him.  
  
Makimura landed on top of the heap. "Whew," she said.  
Ro looked at his sister. "Makimura, if you don't mind, would you get down from their so we can get up?"  
"Would you ALL mind getting off of ME?" Kaiba growled, irritated.  
  
The kids disentangled themselves from one another and got to their feet, brushing hay off their pants. Tali looked around the room.  
  
"Where are we?" she asked.  
"It looks like Toonworld or something," Kaiba commented.  
  
It was a fairly large, dark room made of stone. Torches were lit here and there, casting eerie shadows about the room. The group huddled together, shivering and trying to keep warm.  
  
Suddenly Misaki gasped. "Look!" she exclaimed, pointing upwards. "It's the same window we were standing by when Mokuba stepped on the trap door!"  
  
"You're right!" Tali exclaimed.  
"But that must mean we're in the same room as the make inu and his friends," Kaiba added.  
"All right!" Ro cried, punching the air. "Now all we have to do is find where they are and release them from their chains!"  
"Easier said than done," Kaiba demurred. "It's not like we have a key or anything.  
"Stop being so negative, Seto."  
  
Misaki's face contorted in anguish. She threw her hands up into the air and said, frustrated, "Ugh! If only Dajan or Ay were here! They could use the Millennium Key to open the locks!"  
  
"Something tells me the Millennium Key is being put to good use elsewhere," Tali said, with a knowing look in her eye. (A/n: yeah, like to say Yami from the fiery duel arena!!! LOL!)  
  
Ro sighed. "I guess the only thing to do now is to search for their bodies."  
"We could use Misaki's glasses as a key," Kaiba joked.  
"ACK! Seto, quit it!" Misaki whined.  
  
The group split up in three groups to search for the captives. Kaiba and Mokuba were in one group, Ro and Makimura in another, and Misaki and Tali in the last. No one knew where to search first, but they all figured that since the prisoners had been sighted directly across from the window, they should head in the opposite direction of which they came, away from the window.  
  
Kaiba and Mokuba walked forward for a few minutes before they met a dead end and had to turn around. Ro hit his head when he reached a dead end of his own, but Misaki and Tali found themselves wandering in circles. Finally Ro and Kaiba met up with each other, both feeling it had been an exclusive waste of time.  
  
Kaiba knocked his head against the wall. "Where ARE those bakas?" he complained. "We're been looking forever!"  
  
"Technically, we've only been looking for ten minutes," Ro objected.  
"Jonouchi's been looking for his brain for a lot longer than ten minutes," Kaiba grumbled.  
  
It was then that the duo noticed their siblings had disappeared.  
  
"Oh no!" Kaiba groaned as he searched around frantically for the kids. "You take your eyes off them for one minute and...!"  
  
"Quick! This way!" Ro commanded. Kaiba obediently followed.  
  
They didn't run into Mokuba or Makimura, but as Tali and Misaki made their sixth trip around the same stone column, they crashed into each other once more. After briefly explaining the situation to the girls, they began searching for the lost kids and calling out their names.  
  
"Mokuba!"  
"Makimura!"  
"Kids, get out here!"  
"Where are you?"  
  
***  
  
Setsuna hugged herself, befuddled and wondering where she was. There were mountains all around her, and not a soul for miles. Where had Taidu sent her, and why? Begrudgingly, she started to walk towards the mountains.  
  
At that moment, she heard her own voice singing a Hebrew song. Baffled, she searched for what sounded like herself. Her eyes came to rest on a hillside nearby, and she watched her past self climbing up it.  
  
"Ahh!" she exclaimed. "Um... I'm sorry! I didn't know anyone was -"  
  
But the other Setsuna made no response. She walked right past the present-day Setsuna, humming merrily and swinging her bag. Soon she came to a cave in mountainside with rocks blocking the entrance.  
  
"Oh my," the past Setsuna stated, amused. "Looks like my super-strength will be needed here after all." She began digging with ease through the boulders, pushing them aside.  
  
"I have to make a way for the others to get inside the mountain," she said to no one in particular. "The quickest route to the Sennen Sets goes through here. I'll have to be quick about it - I'm sure Zhur's followers want to take this way too. But once we get the Sets... what will we do with them? Shaadi wouldn't tell us their purpose, only that there's one for each of us. Zhur has one already, and seeks the others. I'm worried, though. If Shaadi wouldn't even tell US their purpose, then their power must be incredible!"  
  
The present-day Setsuna blushed when she realized her past self had a habit of thinking out loud. She was glad she'd lost that habit after spending five millennia in the Millennium Mirror.  
  
'Sennen Sets,' she mused. 'That must have been what we used to call the Millennium Items.' (A/N: No duh! I just thought that since the items hadn't been around for a millennia yet, the people of Ancient Egypt would have called them something different. Japanese is always good! ^-^)  
  
The past Setsuna was still tearing at the rocks, trying her best to unblock the entrance. Sweat poured down her face and the hot Egyptian sun was no help. She stopped a minute and leaned against the mountain to rest.  
  
She heard a rustling above her. Curiously, she looked up and saw a figure crouching on a rock ledge jutting out of the mountainside. Before she could ask who it was, the figure leaped down and landed in front her, before drawing to his full height.  
  
It was a tall, broad, muscular man with hairy arms and wild, tangled hair. His eyes were cat-like and yellow, and out of his mouth protruded two sharp fangs. He walked in a gorilla-like manner, his huge feet causing the ground to shake. It was one of Zhur's minions, a Shadow creature of brute force known only as Zhong-wan.  
  
"Hello there, little warrior of the Priest of Light," he growled, a lopsided grin on his scarred face. "I've been searching for you. You'll make a nice meal for my friends!" He snapped his large, rough fingers and out of the woods came five lions and two cheetahs, all licking their black lips hungrily and advancing on Setsuna. "But I fancy you won't be enough to satisfy their hunger. They'll have a feast where your friends get here!" He laughed hysterically.  
  
"That's not going to happen!" Setsuna objected. "Just you wait, Zhong-wan! I'm going to make you wish you'd never crossed Setsuna, daughter of Uzziah!"  
  
Zhong-wan lunged at her, and Setsuna jerked out of the way. She pulled off a spectacular hand-spring and kicked Zhong-wan's head with all her might as she came down. He grabbed her hand and pushed her to the ground, ripping at her flesh.  
  
Setsuna cried out in pain as he slashed at her arm. Lifting her foot, she kicked him away from her and dashed out of his reach. Already she was a terrible mess, and had hardly landed a scratch on him.  
  
'Wh-what's with this guy?!' she mentally screamed. 'He's gotten stronger since the last time we fought! Well, time to get defensive. I'll have to summon a monster!'  
  
She focused on the type of monster she wanted to summon. She wasn't very sure of her summoning abilities - that was Yami's specialty, and she had only come to Egypt a few years ago as a captive from Midian. Only in Egypt was that magic taught, and she had only begun to get the hang of it. Still, she had no choice now.  
  
"Rock and rubble, here my cry! I call upon the forces of earth to come to my aid! Stone Soldier, arise!"  
  
The rocks in front of entrance to the mountain began to crack, and suddenly the cave was visible. The boulders had formed together to create the powerful Stone Soldier, wielding his great stone sword, more than thrice the size of Zhong-wan.  
  
"Beat that, fool!" Setsuna taunted, feeling much more confident now that she had a shield to defend her.  
  
Zhong-wan wagged his finger. "Don't forget, my beloved ones," he threatened, gesturing to the lions and cheetahs. "They're not interested in rocks. They like FLESH!"  
  
With that final word, all the carnivorous felines rushed out of their waiting spots and attacked Setsuna. She grabbed a stick on the ground and whacked their faces and tails, but the cats had five sharp ends and a whip-like tail to boot. She was scratched and bitten, slapped and knocked down more than she would have liked. At the same time, the Stone Soldier was pounding Zhong-wan, but after a while of this she saw the monster shriek in pain and disappear.  
  
By this time, Setsuna was beaten pretty badly, and Zhong-wan called off his pets. He stumbled over to Setsuna, nursing his wounds from Stone Soldier's assaults. Still, he was ready to finish off Setsuna.  
  
He raised his fist above her head.  
  
"SAY GOOD-BYE, MIDIANITE!"  
"RIGHT BACK AT YOU, FALLEN ONE!"  
  
Shock filled Zhong-wan's eyes as Setsuna somehow found the strength to jump from the ground and lock her legs around his neck. With every ounce of strength in her she tightened her grip around him, and he choked for breath. He tried to tear her from his body, but she was too determined and refused to let go. At last he fell to the ground in a dead faint. Setsuna didn't loosen her grip just in case he was still alive, but that gave the felines the chance they'd been waiting for. They bounded out and attacked Setsuna, who shrieked and let go, running from the site and then tripping and falling to the sandy ground.  
  
The felines had turned on their master and were now feasting on his dead body, Setsuna shut her eyes and turned her head; the sight was too gruesome.  
  
Setsuna laughed slightly as a thought crossed her mind, but immediately stopped; it was too painful. "This is great... Setsuna," she said sarcastically to herself. "Now you'll really be able to tease that idiot Yami. Yeah, you're going to do a great job impressing him, in your condition. He'll definitely believe he's inferior now! Darnit... I'm not ever going to be teasing him again, am I?"  
  
"PIERCING LIGHT IN DARKNESS!"  
"SHINE SENNEN SEAL!"  
  
Yami and Kiara were running up the hill, their feet pounding on the scorching sand. They had attacked the lions and cheetahs and caused them to run away, growling threats as they left.  
  
The prince and princess flew up the hill at top speed. Kiara, being the fastest of the Shadow Gamers, reached the top first, veered around Zhong-wan's carcass, and rushed to Setsuna's side.  
  
"Setsuna!" she cried, cradling the girl in her arms. Tears fell from her lavender eyes as she called to her brother, "Hurry, Yami! She's hurt bad!"  
  
"I sent a mental message to the others!" Yami wheezed as he collapsed on his knees when he reached them. "Himoko will be here soon, she'll heal you, Setsuna!"  
  
"What are we going to do? Her wounds are deep and the blood won't stop!" Kiara had ripped off part of her dressed and was trying to stop the blood flow, to no avail.  
  
Setsuna, like so many of her friends, hated to see the ones she loved cry, so she plastered on a smile and told Kiara not to cry. "I'm not going anywhere..." she choked out in a hoarse whisper. "After all... it would be murder to leave Y... Yami here with n-no one to... look out for him."  
  
Yami was crying too, although silently. He took Setsuna from Kiara and ripped off nearly all of his pants up to his knees, then tore them into separate strips. These he wrapped around her most deadly wounds, praying Himoko and the others would arrive soon.  
  
Setsuna looked away from her best friend and locked eyes with Yami. "I-I can't go anywhere and leave... leave you, Yami..." she struggled to say. "I mean, y-you're stupid and naive and y-you never think about yourself, so some... someone's got to look out for you, you idiot."  
  
Yami let out a strangled sob.  
  
"B-but that's nothing... your naivety, your childishness, your innocence and st-stupidity... none of it matters. You have... the strongest heart... Yami."  
  
'I love you,' she thought. 'But I could never tell you. I know you don't care in the least about romance, and I don't need to torture you with the thoughts that I love you.'  
  
"N-no matter what, you can't ever g... give up... because if you do... there won't be any h-h-hope left. You have to be... strong, and... brave... like I know you are. So don't l-let them bring you... you down, Yami."  
  
'I love you. I wish I could tell you.' Setsuna's heart felt like it would burst  
  
"S-Stop, Setsuna!" Yami begged, having no idea what Setsuna's true feelings for him were. "Y-You're going to be fine, really, you are! And then you can t-tease me as much as you want! Himoko will be here any moment now, r-right, Kiara?"  
  
"I'll check!" Kiara said desperately. She stood up and ran to overlook the hillside. At that moment, Ahmose and Kerihk reached her, and she quickly filled them in on what had happened. Kerihk went back down to tell Himoko to hurry up, and Ahmose scurried to Yami.  
  
Setsuna closed her eyes. 'I'll never know... if you could ever love me back, Yami,' she thought. 'That's for the best. I'm just glad you even let me be your friend. You don't push anyone away... but there are so few you really trust. I'm so glad I was one of them. No matter what, I'll go on loving you... even if you can never love me... if you're happy, then so am I.'  
  
"Himoko!" Kiara screamed. She whirled around. "Hold on, Setsuna!"  
  
Yami opened his tearing eyes and looked at Setsuna. She wasn't breathing.  
  
"... Kiara..."  
  
Kiara stopped shouting as a pang of nervousness filled her heart. She came over to the three and looked at Setsuna's peaceful face. She gave a half-hearted laugh.  
  
"N... no!" she giggled in insane, grieving laughter. "She's not dead... she can't be dead! Setsuna, you can't be dead! Open your eyes, Setsuna, please don't go! Don't go!"  
  
She fell on her knees and cried, hugging Setsuna's body just as Himoko and the rest made it up the hill.  
  
"Setsuna!" Yami called despairingly, but it was over; she was gone. Ahmose laid a hand on his shoulder as he cried for her.  
  
Thoughts of her filled his mind as the group mourned as one. 'Setsuna... if only you would come back and tease me again! Just one more chance to hear you call me 'stupid idiot' or yell at me for making some mistake! Just one more chance is all I'm asking! Please, Setsuna, we're not complete without you... You always loved teasing me, why, why, WHY did you choose now to tell me I'm strong? With you, it was always okay to act normal and not have to pretend that I'm stronger than I really am! You were like a sister to me! Setsuna... come back..."  
  
The present-day Setsuna watched all of this unfold through blurry vision, until the sorrowful cries of her friends disappeared altogether and the drama ended. She found she was on the ground with her legs sprawled out, stunned by what she had seen.  
  
Like with Kiara and Kerihk, Taidu now entered the dream and called out to her.  
  
"Setsuna."  
  
Setsuna's head spun around, her long brown hair whipping behind her from the force. Her golden eyes were filled with tears. "That really happened... didn't it?" she said gloomily. "That battle... my last words... Yami's thoughts..."  
  
The red-haired priestess nodded. "I'm sorry. It had to be this way. In order to fulfill your destiny, you must remember your past."  
  
The Hebrew Shadow Gamer bit her lip, trying to decide if the memory made her feel bitter or loved inside. It had been her own death, but her friends had certainly missed her. "So they did accept me."  
  
Taidu smiled. "Yes. Of course we did."  
  
Setsuna looked at her and smiled.  
  
(A/N: One more death scene to go and then we're done! Well first Kaiba and Yugi hafta meet up, but at least no one else is dying...)  
  
***  
Meanwhile, Mokuba and Makimura were quite undisturbed by their obvious lack of older siblings. Their footsteps made no echo in the room, which was no fun, but Mokuba swore he saw a light up ahead and convinced Makimura to follow him. The ten-year-olds raced off together, and every now and then would catch a glimpse of Mokuba's light.  
  
At last they realized the light had been a reflection of the glow of a torch off a chain. The chain was attached to a leg. A leg belonging to none other than Katsuya Jonouchi.  
  
"Wow! It's our friends!" Mokuba gasped.  
  
Next to Jonouchi, chained to the wall, were Anzu, Naoko, Honda, and Tetsuya. Each of them were unconscious and unmoving, as if they had placed under a spell of deep sleep.  
  
Mokuba and Makimura looked at each other. "We have to tell our brothers!" Makimura exclaimed.  
  
"Sokua, sokua," Mokuba said with a careless wave of his hand. Then he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted into the darkness (as only Mokuba can), "SETO!!! WE FOUND THAT JERK JONOUCHI AND THE OTHERS!!! GET OVER HERE, NII-SAMA!!!"  
  
Kaiba heard Mokuba's voice even above the calls of his friends. "Mokuba?" he shouted back, not quite as loudly. He grimaced as he realized he'd have to do the childish thing and yell until his throat hurt. Sighing, he put his hands around his mouth and screamed, "MOKUBA, WHERE ARE YOU?!"  
  
Tali, Misaki, and Ro were forced to cover their ears as the two brothers posed a friendly conversation with one another.  
  
"I'M OVER HERE!"  
"OVER WHERE?"  
"OVER HERE!"  
"I DON'T KNOW WHERE 'HERE' IS!"  
"FOLLOW MY VOICE!"  
  
Kaiba decided to take his little brother's advice and beckoned for his friends to follow him.  
  
Mokuba and Makimura began singing "Jingle Bells" as loud as they could to lead the teenagers to them. Misaki and Tali rolled their eyes, and Ro and Kaiba looked extremely annoyed.  
  
"Those two have some set of lungs," Ro commented, not at all happy about it.  
  
When he saw his brother silhouetted in the light of the torches, Mokuba and Makimura finally stopped their obnoxious yelling. When the teenagers caught up with them, they showed them where they had found the captives.  
  
Kaiba reached down and brushed some of Jonouchi's hair out of his face, pretending to study him hard. Then he stated, "Yep. He definitely looks like a pathetic dog."  
  
The others sweatdropped.  
  
"Now what?" Tali questioned. "We found our friends, but we have no way of freeing them."  
  
The group stood in thoughtful silence for a few minutes.  
  
"Any of you have any bobby pins?" Ro asked.  
  
Misaki and Tali shook their heads, saying their hair was too short to need them.  
  
"We could still use Misaki's glasses," Kaiba suggested, earning him a scornful glare from Misaki.  
  
"Does anyone feel a breeze?" Tali asked.  
  
The others looked at her, confused. "A breeze?" Kaiba repeated. "In this place? The only window is indoors, so nooooo... why do you ask?"  
  
Tali looked scared. "Because there's a very strong, chilly breeze blowing through here," she explained, rubbing her arms for heat.  
  
The others stood still, and sure enough, they felt the cool gust of wind. "Where is it coming from?" Misaki asked curiously. Mokuba and Makimura cowered behind their brothers.  
  
A fell voice drifted to their ears with the wind. It laughed grudgingly, echoing through their systems. The chill of evil traveled up their spines.  
  
"S-Someone's c-coming," Mokuba whispered.  
  
The owner of the voice was marching towards them. They could hear his loud footsteps and his shallow breathing. Soon, they knew they'd be able to hear the very beating of his heart.  
  
He then stepped into the light of the torches. It was Jyor-lang.  
  
He was still battered up from his duel with Yami, and his face was pale with defeat. However, his eyes shined with fervor and sneered at the group.  
  
"Hello there, little friends," he said wickedly. "I hope you weren't planning on saving Master Pegasus's prisoners. That wouldn't be good." He laughed.  
  
"Who are you?!" Kaiba wanted to know.  
"I? I am Jyor-lang... presently defeated by that annoying Pharaoh... but not for long."  
Kaiba looked shocked. "You dueled Yami?"  
  
(A/N: This is going to be forty pages by the times I finish... I have GOT to cut back. o_O)  
  
Jyor-lang snorted and crossed his arms. Just the very mention of Yami's name insulted him. "Yes, we dueled. I lost, thanks to his annoying hikari. But I will have my revenge!"  
  
"Two wrongs don't make a right!" Tali shouted.  
"Not that Yami did anything wrong..." Misaki added quietly.  
  
"I don't care," Jyor-lang responded, expressionless. "Besides, that isn't what you should be worrying about. I'm a whole lot more dangerous towards YOU."  
  
"What?"  
  
Jyor-lang stretched out his long index finger and raised it above his head. "My master, Pegasus, wants you extinguished," he said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "Using the power of his Millennium Eye, he gave me a spell to blow you far from this place. So good-bye."  
  
Power radiated from his fingers. The six found themselves unable to move as he cast his spell.   
  
Šanå ên Çéïl!!!"  
  
The whole castle seemed to dissolve before their eyes and fall to pieces. Kaiba-tachi found themselves falling again, but this time they had absolutely no idea where they would end up...  
  
***  
  
"Is this a dream?"  
"It can't be a dream. It's too real!"  
"But where are we, and why are we here?"  
"And who are those people who look just like us?"  
  
Ahmose and Ay were the two conversing in the above discussion while Himoko was standing in silence nearby. They were standing on a dark cliff at night, the only light coming from the Millennium Items of their past selves and Yami, Taidu, Osona, and Shaadi. The four other Millennium Item bearers had died by this time.  
  
They were reliving the one crucial memory the trio were all there for and despised the most: the memory of Yami's defeat of Zhur.  
  
The past Himoko, Ahmose, and Ay were standing in between the past Taidu, Osona, and Shaadi. Each of them were holding out their Millennium Items to cast a glow in the dark of the night. The Millennium Items of those who had died, the Pendant, the Mirror, the Ring, and the Rod, had been scattered in different places. Yami had left the pendant in a discreet place under a tree in an oasis as a memorial for Kiara. The Ring, Rod, and Mirror had been taken by Shaadi to a sacred place underground where they would be kept safe from harm. There were only eight of the original twelve left, and one of them, Zhur, had turned to the dark side long ago.  
  
Four others also stood behind the Shadow Gamers, there for the defeat and entrapment of Zhur in the Millennium Eye. They were Kiara's best friend, Rise, and Yami's two exuberant companions, Jono and Tyren, along with the recently reconciled High Priest Semaret. Rise was praying fervently while Jono and Tyren had their swords ready for battle. Semaret was eyeing his former master bitterly, ready to cast a spell if necessary. The young pharaoh was ahead of the group, his Millennium Puzzle glowing with a light to rival the sun.  
  
The present-day Himoko, Ay, and Ahmose exchanged glances. They were beginning to figure out what was going on.  
  
The past Yami stepped forward. "Come out, Zhur, you cowardly heathen!" he commanded. "It is time you faced the music! For what you have done, I will show you no mercy!"  
  
Out of a dark cloud descended Zhur, the very image of all that is evil. Even now, he was confident in his powers. Yami's heart wavered for an instant as he received a full blast of dark power from Zhur's aura, but quickly recovered and faced Zhur with the greatest of courage.  
  
Zhur never resisted an opportunity to torture any of the Shadow Gamers of Light, especially if it was Yami. "Little prince, what are you doing?" he teased softly. "This is much too big of a battle for a seventeen-year-old. Go back to your cradle and fight me when you're a man."  
  
"Go back to your own," Yami hissed. "Or were you raised in a box, vile, filthy snake?"  
Zhur's eyes flashed. "Your impudence is quite daring, little prince, considering I have the upperhand here."  
"Do you?" Yami answered scathingly. "I don't see any of your followers here with you, while I have ten of mine. Four you struck down, and my father, yet these ten still remain and you are helpless."  
  
Malignant laughter rose from Zhur's throat, as if Yami's boldness was amusing. "Before this day is over, you will have learned obeisance while in my presence," he assured him. "Why does a child like you make such defiant statements? You do know you have caused me nothing but trouble since the day of your birth. When I win today, I shall delight in stripping you of your royal title and subjecting you to my own version of slavery." Knowing full well that Yami would make no attack on him until he was sure he had him right where he wanted him, Zhur could manipulate the boy until the last possible moment. He stepped forward until he was directly in front of the boy pharaoh, seeing him up close for the first time in five years. He was yet small and thin in stature, wearing a long cape and the mystical Eye Symbol on his black shirt. His white pants sagged around his ankles, and his sandals and all his golden jewelry except for his golden tiara had been cast aside to let him move as freely as he needed. Like the rest of his company, his clothes were torn and patched, and it looked as if they hadn't had a change of clothes in months. Their faces were dirty; Jono was nursing a split lip; Yami had great slashes on his arms and chest from the attack of a Duel Monster the last of Zhur's Shadow Gamers had summoned before dying. The slashes were bleeding profusely, but the young king made no effort to stop the flow. Even now, his courage and dignity radiated around him, and he glowed with a light like the stars.  
  
Zhur reached down and tilted Yami's face in any way he desired, gently, yet Yami felt the coldness and evil power dispelling from his fingers. He winced momentarily, but quickly made his face impassive. He would not show fear in the presence of this miserable excuse for a human being.  
  
"Ahh, yes." The voice of Zhur was smooth as butter, yet still haunting and teasing. "So many have sought you, fair child of Ramses. You are gifted with a magical power so rare and beautiful like your demeanor. Many have desired to make you their own, their prize. Whether to obtain your power or merely to say they owned you, they desired you. You really are lovely, young one. I should kill you, I think, but I wouldn't mind a trophy for my success." He whispered darkly in Yami's ear. "Would you hate being my prize? You are too fair for death. I am sure I could put you to good use." With that he drew himself to his full height, and commanded, "Bow before your master, slave!"  
  
"I shall never bow to you, captive of darkness," Yami declared in a low voice. "No matter what, I will never call you 'lord' or 'king.' And certainly not 'master'! You may do what you want with me. Chain me with manacles! If you can find it in your heart to bind a pharaoh with golden chains, it wouldn't matter to me! Chains are chains, bonds are bonds. There is no compassion there! If you should win, you can kill me. Enslave me. Make lovely, young me your pet prisoner. But I shall never bow to you!"  
  
Zhur's face was heated with fury. The pharaoh was once again succeeding in really getting on his nerves and frustrating him. Somehow, despite the prince's pleasant, becoming mien, Zhur could never like him. "You will bow to me," he said.  
  
"Never!"  
  
"You have so much pride, little prince. How will you ever learn the lesson of humility?"  
  
"Yami is more reticent than anyone I know!" Rise objected forcefully. "If he wasn't so modest, he would have turned out like the others of the royal family - believing only in power and ordering everyone to call him 'Prince' or 'Pharaoh'! But he doesn't! He feels for his friends, and for everyone in the kingdom! Besides, even if he was like Prince Pentaware and the others, he would still have more modesty than you!"  
  
"But, little girl, I don't think you understand," Zhur corrected coolly. "I do not need to be humble. I, the most powerful sorcerer of the world, and soon to be its king. Ruler over all the earth, Shadow Realm, and Ryúnade combined!"  
  
Yami was shaking visibly now. "You are wrong," he stuttered out defiantly. "The Shadow Realm is its own kingdom and takes orders from no one, not even you. You may be able to control some of its inhabitants, but only for a limited time and not everyone will trust you. They are not a trusting - or trustworthy - world. Earth has no king. There are simply too many citizens of earth to oversee, even with careless, evil intentions. You care nothing about the people, so you expect ruling will be easy, but by stirring fear in the peoples' hearts they will fall into poverty, and in time, so shall you. You have not conquered death, Zhur! That is an impossible feat!"  
  
The enraged Zhur chose not to respond to the last statement. He grabbed Yami's face once more and forced him to look directly into his normal eye and his golden eye. "You forget to mention Ryúnade. That is where I shall draw all my power, all my followers. There shall me plans -"  
  
"No no, the power of Ryúnade is off limits even to me," Yami responded as he tried to pull his head out of Zhur's tight grasp. "There is only one ruler of Ryúnade, land of the peaceful Duel Monsters. She is Queen Kiara, the living Chalice of Life. She is dead in your mind, but her spirit does what her body could not - it became one with the very being of Ryúnade. You can do to a body what you like, but you can never harness a soul!"  
  
Zhur raised his free hand and slapped the pharaoh, snapping his head around. "Ignorant fool!" he hissed. "You will pay for your impertinence! A slave you shall be, and in the end you shall beg for death and relief of pain and torture, but there will be no comfort for you!"  
  
Yami gave a look as if to say, "Try me. Just try and break me, if it brings you pleasure. You will find I am impossible to bend!"  
  
"Let go of me," he demanded, still trying to rip Zhur's hands from his face.  
  
Naturally, Zhur wouldn't comply. Instead, he used one strong arm to keep Yami's hands immobile behind his back and used the other to pull him to him, pressing him against his body. Welts from the recent battle on his back and shoulders were aggravated and burst open, crimson blood spilling from the wounds. He felt the pain, but refused to utter a sound. Too long had he given Zhur the satisfaction of hearing him shriek. Not any longer!  
  
Ahmose roared with anger and lunged forward, wielding the Millennium Sword. "Release him!" he commanded. "He is your pharaoh! You have not the right to treat him so!"  
  
"He is no pharaoh!" a spiteful Zhur spat, drunk in self-confidence. "He is mine! Never again shall the sun or her child shine their light on this wretched world!"  
  
Yami spoke to Ahmose. "Do not strike," he gasped, trying to breath while bound by Zhur's tight grasp. "We will go to the Shadow Realm. There we will conduct a Shadow Game. If Zhur wins, he gains control of Egypt and the entire world, plus those other two realms. He gains dominion over all people, and my life."  
  
Zhur sneered triumphantly.  
  
"However."  
  
Yami's eyes narrowed, and passion and fierce determination burned in his ruby eyes. He glowed with the light of one with the strongest heart as he finished his speech.  
  
"If I win, everything will go back to the way it was. The Shadow Realm and the Shadow Games will be locked away. Ryúnade will be forgotten, and no events concerning it shall be remembered in the future. This entire war shall be forgotten by the next generation of mankind. And Zhur shall be exiled to the darkest, dreariest corner of the Shadow Realm to wallow in misery and defeat for all eternity."  
  
"Fair enough," Zhur said stiffly, "considering I'm going to win anyway."  
  
Yami ignored him and spoke directly to Semaret. "Sem..."  
  
Semaret had turned away when Zhur's abuse of Yami had begun, remembering all too well when he had been one who would torture the child king as well. Now he faced Yami, guilt spread across his face.  
  
"If I do not return..." Yami looked at him - no, he looked through him - as he thought of what to say next. "If I do not return, I give you my kingdom."  
  
The company gasped in surprise.  
  
"I had promised it to Kerihk... my dear friend. I knew him inside and out. Other than my guardian Datran, he was the only one who encouraged me to duel for the right to become pharaoh, not only so Kiara could be queen, but also so I could put in effect my plans for a peaceful kingdom of equality and friendship. We shared the same views. He would have done as I see fit. But he has gone... to wherever we go when we die. Semaret, you must lead my people in my stead. I don't care if you go about finishing what I started. I believe you will be a wise king. Do take care. I trust you."  
  
Semaret could hardly believe his ears. "Pharaoh... after everything that's happened... I betrayed you... I hurt you and your friends... I bowed to this vile snake... yet, you still trust me with the land you love?"  
  
"It is not the land I love, Sem," Yami responded with a weak smile. "It is the people. You are one of the people. You have been reconciled with me. I would trust you with my life. If that is not great enough an honor, I would trust you with Kiara's life." Kiara had seemingly been Yami's only weakness. After her death, he had thought he couldn't go on. To say he would trust anyone but himself with her life was truly an honor.  
  
Yami's eyes traveled to the others and he gave final farewells. "Ahmose. Do not blame yourself for Kiara's death. She had foreseen it, and it could not be prevented. She took in her the Chalice of Life! Ironic that the Chalice of Life should cause one to die, yet she knew it needed to be done but her body wouldn't be able to sustain it. It is no fault of yours. I trust you above all, Ahmose.  
  
"Taidu and Osona, I know I have not always been the ideal pharaoh you have hoped I would turn out to be. I will try my best to remember everything you taught me in this final duel. Keep safe, priestesses. The gods smile on you.  
  
"Himoko, daughter of both Egypt and Greece. I pray a blessing on you and Semaret, that your life together should be prosperous. I daresay if I don't survive, you shall be queen of all Egypt. Keep healing, Himoko. Keep watching, and waiting. Your destiny will reveal itself to you in due time.  
  
"Ay, a sailor of many lands. When you go on your voyages, remember me. I should have liked to see those grand places. Learn much, and bring it back to teach the new generation. You are wise beyond wise, Ay.  
  
"Jono and Tyren, my life-long companions. Do not lose your enthusiasm and energy! That may be all that will sustain you after today, should I fail. You've been my best friends since the beginning. I thank you for all your support... perhaps one day our paths will cross again.  
  
"Shaadi, thank you so much for all your help. You took care of my kingdom while I was away. You guided us in areas we had little to no knowledge of. You kept safe the Sennen Ring, Mirror, and Rod once their owners had been killed. Your friendship has been such a blessing to me."  
  
The last member of the group was Rise. After all they had been through together, Yami found it was hardest to say good-bye to her. Her blue eyes glistened with tears as he began to speak.  
  
"Rise, you came to us when I was only eight years old, hoping to train in the palace to become a magician. At first you weren't sure you were going to stay... but I am so glad that you chose to remain with us. Kiara loved you as her very best friend and really looked up to you. I daresay I did too - you were always encouraging me. We were a good team, and great friends. Father took it too far when he arranged for us to be married one day, but after today that betrothal will be canceled, one way or another. I hope you can be as happy as possible with the one you do love." He smiled warmly at Jono and Rise, the young couple.  
  
Rise stepped forward. "Yami, just don't forget how much your friends love you," she stammered bravely. "We believe in you, like we always have! As long as you focus on our love for you, you can't lose! We'll be there for you, even in the Shadow Realm."  
  
Yami smiled.  
  
This had gone on too long for Zhur. He was anxious to begin the Shadow Realm. "Are you quite finished?" he wanted to know. Yami heard the impatience in his tone and finally consented.  
  
"Yes. I am ready."  
"Good! Prepare to die."  
  
Above them, an entrance to the Shadow Realm was opening in the sky. It was dark and evil, cold and mysterious. Yami took one last look at his friends as Zhur jumped into the black hole, pulling him with him. That was the last he saw of his friends were five thousand years.   
  
Before the hole closed, Yami's voice echoed through the wind. ~If the sun rises at dawn, I have been victorious. Look to the horizon. The sun shall rise.~  
  
The present-day Himoko, Ay, and Ahmose had watched all this in utter silence. Even now, they sat where they were, staring up at the sky with their past selves for the longest time.  
  
At length, dawn arrived. Osona, guardian of time, announced that it had come. Anxiously the group looked to the horizon, as Yami had instructed. They didn't even blink as they waited to catch the first ray of sunlight, should it come. For a long time they sat there, unmoving, until hope itself seemed hopeless.  
  
Suddenly Rise gasped. "The sun! I see the sun!"  
  
It was true. The sun was rising, brighter and more beautiful than ever before. As its rays touched the ground, it sprang up with new life. Flowers bloomed, grass grew, trees branched out. All over the world, people's hearts were light as they realized the dark times were over. Yami had been victorious!  
  
Rise and Himoko hugged each other and laughed for joy. Osona and Taidu clasped hands, keeping their composure, but they couldn't help but cry with happy tears. Jono and Tyren were cheering their loudest, but even they were drowned out by Ahmose's jubilant roars. Semaret, Ay, and Shaadi just stared at the rising sun, at peace in their hearts.  
  
Rise looked around. "But... Yami hasn't returned. Something's not right."  
  
The group immediately stopped cheering as her words hit them. The world was safe now, but could Yami have perished along with Zhur? No... it wasn't possible! Shaadi decided to perform a spell to reopen an entrance to the Shadow Realm; perhaps Yami was just too weak to make a new one himself.  
  
No sooner had he begun the spell than an entrance opened all on its own. Out of it emerged two tall, strong women, one clothed all in black with long, dark as night hair and matching eyes. The other was clad in white with hair and eyes to the liken of it. The dark one was carrying the small, motionless frame of King Yami in her arms.  
  
"The oracles of Dark and Light," Taidu breathed. "Suta-raito and Tenpi! They are spirits that ensure the balance of the world isn't off kilter. How astonishing that they grace us with their presence!"  
  
The past Ahmose rushed forward, hardly realizing he should show reverence to the oracles. He stopped before the Oracle of Starlight, Suta-raito.  
  
"Is he all right?" he questioned apprehensively. "He isn't... dead, is he?" It was a bleak question, for Yami couldn't look any more dead.  
  
Suta-raito was the one to respond. Her voice was deep and womanly, but her cool gaze was kind. "Pharaoh Yugioh's spirit no longer resides in his body," she stated simply, much to the distress of his followers. "But neither his spirit, nor the spirits of the four other deceased ones, has left this world. His spirit and theirs now reside within the Sennen Sets."  
  
"What do you mean?" the past Himoko asked.  
  
"All of you were born in this time to defeat this great evil," the oracle of Sunlight, Tenpi, explained. "However, your destinies take place in a different time. A future time, when you will again be needed to defeat this same evil at its worst."  
  
The teenagers were shocked, and their faces showed it. "He's dead then," Rise sniffed. "I thought it was so." Their minds were torn between grief for their leader and confusion as to the oracles' words.  
  
Tenpi spoke again. "As six of you here have Sennen Sets, when you die, your souls shall also be entrapped in your sets. The four of you without Sennen Sets will be reincarnated at the same time as your friends are freed. Please, do not grieve yourselves. Peace is upon the world, for a little while. I assure you, the next time around there will be no tragedies like you have faced these past three years. Go now, Shadow Gamers."  
  
Suta-raito handed Yami's body to Ahmose and stroked his tri-colored hair. He looked as if he were only sleeping, but his heart was not beating any longer. "Sleep well, young king, your true destiny lies in wait," she said softly. Then she cast a benign smile upon Ahmose. "Don't be sad, Ahmose son of Ramose. He fought bravely, and it was a battle that astonished even the highest of oracles. The apocalypse of this war is yet to come, but you have all proven to be the strongest of all. Take him and give him a traditional burial. But if archaeologists enter his tomb a millennia from now, let no heart be surprised if his body is not there!"  
  
Thus ended the vision. The present-day Himoko, Ay, and Ahmose each remained on the ground, going over the events in their hearts. They thought of everything which had happened, and what it meant now. Most of all, they remembered that final, dark battle, and Ahmose truly understood for the first time why he loved the royal family so much.  
  
Taidu realized these three completely understood what had happened, and that their memories had been restored. She surveyed them carefully, and then her lips curved up in a knowing grin. Clasping her hands and muttering a spell, she brought them back to reality.  
  
***  
  
(A/N: Whew! Two more parts to go... two SHORT parts!!! ::gasps for air:: I'd better get reviews, I worked exceedingly hard on this chapter...)  
  
Yugi awoke with a start when he heard a thud as six heavy objects landed on the ground. Curiously, he stood up from the damp grass he and his friends had been sleeping on, and found that Hikaru, Bakura, and Ai were already awake. They had been playing a game using rocks and Duel Monsters cards which they called "Rock RPG." The game had abruptly ended when the sound had been heard and awakened Yugi, Takehiko, and Dajan.  
  
"What the heck was that?" Ai asked.  
"Don't look at me, I was asleep," Takehiko answered.  
"Maybe you kicked me really hard in your sleep," Dajan suggested in annoyance. "Again."  
"Let's go and see," Yugi said.  
  
"What about him?" Hikaru interrupted, pointing to Yami who was still asleep on the ground. He had a strained look on his face, but he was in a deep, practically unbreakable sleep. Yugi thought it would be a pity to wake him up when he was so tired.  
  
"Leave him alone," he said gently. "He needs his rest. We'll check this out."  
  
"Be careful," Hikaru reminded him as she and Ai went back to their game.  
  
Yugi, Takehiko, Bakura, and Dajan quietly sneaked out of their hiding place to search the area where the sound had come from. Acting like agents of the CIA, they darted from bush to bush, trying their best not to alert the cause of the sound that they were there.  
  
The first thing they spied was a foot covered by a trench coat. Peering through the bushes, Yugi-tachi immediately recognized the Seto Kaiba gang all lying on the ground.  
  
Yugi beckoned for the others to follow him as he raced to Kaiba's side. "Kaiba! Misaki! Tali! Are you guys okay?"  
  
Kaiba groaned and opened his eyes. Ro pulled Mokuba and Makimura out from under him. Misaki and Tali held their dizzy heads.  
  
"Where are we?" an unstable Kaiba asked.  
"Weren't we just at a castle?" Misaki mumbled brilliantly.  
"That weirdo Jyor-lang cast a spell or something and sent us here," Tali explained.  
"You met Jyor-lang?!" Takehiko gasped.  
  
Kaiba's group seemed to notice Yugi and company for the first time. He blinked and then exclaimed, "WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"  
  
It took a lot of explaining to tell both sides of the stories to their friends, but at last each group had at least a vague understanding of what had happened. Yugi-tachi took Kaiba's group to their resting spot, where Hikaru and Ai greeted them joyfully, Hikaru going even as far as to hug them tightly, startling Kaiba.  
  
"It's good to know Naoko and the others are at least alive," Hikaru said.  
Yugi nodded. "Now maybe we stand a chance at saving them."  
  
Mokuba and Makimura were showering Ai with tales of their adventures. She was laughing like crazy but they didn't seem to mind.  
  
Tali walked over to the slumbering Yami and placed a hand on his forehead. She frowned when she noticed he was sweating. 'So it has begun...' She knew her yami, Taidu, was planning on reuniting the yamis with their memories, and understood it would be painful for them to relive their worst moments.  
  
"So this is what happens to the stubborn other Yugi when he fights a duel too hard."  
  
Tali looked at the owner of the voice, Kaiba. "Shut up, Kaiba," she said, irritated. "Try saying something nice for once."  
  
Kaiba looked thoughtful and mischievous as he pondered and answer. Softly he said, "He looks cute when he's sleeping."  
  
Everyone sweatdropped.  
  
Kaiba scanned Yami quickly, thinking of Jyor-lang's vow of revenge. The former pharaoh truly radiated with innocence as he slept. Against his will, Kaiba felt his heart melt. Stooping down, he picked up the battered body, observing Yami's wounds and thinking of the best way to tend them.  
  
"It was raining before," Ai stated as if it were an important fact.  
Kaiba sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well, it's not now. Let's see if we can find a better place for him to rest. That's the only cure for fatigue."  
  
Somewhat surprised that Kaiba was concerned with Yami's well-being, the others consented and followed him out of the woods. They clambered across the wet lands and over the barnacle-covered rocks seeking a better shelter. Camping had just become much harder.  
  
***  
  
The yamis opened their eyes one by one. Kiara and Kerihk both blushed when they met each other's eyes, but quickly recovered and turned away. Kerihk buried himself in his legs so no one would see him cry, but Kiara knew what he had seen. Setsuna hugged her knees and did not fail to notice the tears staining the faces of everyone, including Taidu. Ahmose, Ay, and Himoko had their heads bowed in reverence.  
  
Finally Taidu broke the silence. "It is over, friends," she said, but her voice cracked. "I - I'm so sorry... you had to relive those terrible times. But you had to know. You had to. And you will never have to go through that again. But remember... the only way to deal with the pain of those times, is to accept them, not to forget."  
  
Slowly the group got to their feet, attempting to hide their weaknesses even though they felt anything but strong. Taidu spotted the black book Hikaru had found tucked between Kiara's arms.  
  
"The Book of Truth!" she exclaimed, running his fingers over the red Eye symbol emblazoned on its cover. "This is a book of tao spells. Tao, the forces that make up the universe. One Song. Universe. Yes, you would be sent this book for help and guidance. Its powers will benefit you. Use it well." She pursed her lips at the sight of so many gloomy faces. "Don't look so glum, my friends! The bad times are done with. New times are beginning! You have great things going for you. Don't you want to make your hikaris' lives perfect for them? Then put aside the past and focus on the future! You are stronger than that! You live in both eras. Use your knowledge!"  
  
Kiara grinned unexpectedly. "We know," she said. "We don't need to dwell on those times."   
  
"We have a second chance to right our mistakes," Kerihk chimed in.  
"We can help those that we love," Ahmose added.  
"We can discover our true destinies," Himoko put in.  
"And make new friendships and strengthen old ones," Ay suggested.  
  
"It's a new life, guys! I daresay we're all glad we have our memories back, but that's not what counts!" Setsuna punched the air. "Let's get out of this dreary cave and show the world who we are!"  
  
With this as food for thought, the Shadow Gamers of Light left the dreary gave that had been the home of much evil. They cast away dark thoughts from their souls and left happier than they had come.  
  
Strange how these things just work themselves out, isn't it?  
  
((Don't ever wait to find what you've been looking for  
Don't ever hide your light behind a closing door  
Don't give up the fight to find a way to realize your dreams  
Don't you know you can be anything you want to be  
  
  
You can be a star shining out in the darkness  
You can be a fire blazing into the cold  
You can be a voice calling out into silence  
You can be as bright as the morning sun  
You can be the blue sky after the gray  
You can drive the clouds of fear away  
You can bring healing to a world that's come undone  
Don't you know you can be The One  
You know that you can be The One  
  
  
Don't ever miss a chance to find what the future holds  
'Cause I can see a passion burning in your eyes  
I know there's a God who's up in Heaven looking down  
And we all play a part in a master plan of grand design  
  
  
You can be a star shining out in the darkness  
You can be a fire blazing into the cold  
You can be a voice calling out into silence  
You can be as bright as the morning sun  
You can be the blue sky after the gray  
You can drive the clouds of fear away  
You can bring healing to a world that's come undone  
Don't you know you can be The One  
You know that you can be The One...))  
  
  
Angel: There you go, gang! *whew* It's not 40 pages! ::twiddles thumbs:: It's 35.  
  
Everyone: ::anime fall::  
  
Angel: Should I change the rating to PG-13? It's probably only going to get more sappy and gory from here... I suppose I completely bored you to death... if I didn't, please tell me...  
  
Yami: You certainly bored ME to death.  
  
Angel: That's because you slept the entire time.  
  
Bakura: I didn't have any lines.  
  
Kerihk: Be happy. I sure did.  
  
Ay: It was your fault!  
  
Kerihk: No, it was yours!  
  
Angel: ::whines:: Guys!!! You'll make it 36 pages! *gets cheerful* Who likes the song? It's so fun. I got issue 2 of Shonen Jump! Yami is hot even in terrible animation! AND TEA SAID THAT SHE'S IN LOVE WITH YAMI!!! *jumps for joy* "I'll never forget that voice. 'Let's play a game...' After all, I've fallen in love with its owner!" YEP! We all fall in love with Yami-kun.  
  
Yami: ...  
  
From the Desk of Ryou Bakura since I believe he was the only character that didn't have any lines:  
  
Nan desu ka - what is it  
imouto - little sister  
Daijobu desu ka - are you all right  
Daijobu desu - I am all right  
nii-sama - big brother (cute form)  
make inu - pathetic dog (Kaiba's nickname for Jonouchi, one of many)  
doshite - what?! why?!  
aishiteru - I love you  
-tachi - and company  
urusei - shut up  
sokua, sokua - right, right (I'm not 100% sure of this but someone used it in their own fanfic and said it was Japanese for "right, right" so blame them if its wrong, lol)  
  
No Character of the Day today cuz I'm tired of writing so here's the plan for chap 10.  
  
Next time: Chapter Ten, Jimiru Maiho-mu (as told by Dajan Hada): We find shelter at a nearby Chinese restaurant, and both Yami and Bakura are being tortured by different dreams. But the food is great! Can you believe we hikaris can cook that well? Plus, Kaiba and Yami find Ay and the others and we are reunited! A couple things happen - Kaiba and Yami fight, Kiara and Hikaru have a talk, and Kerihk and Bakura bite each other's heads off. It's actually a peaceful day, compared to everything else we've been through. But for how long? Let's hope longer than the hot dog incident!  
  
TBC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!! (grr... we just got to 36 pages. Darnit!) 


	13. Jimiru MaihoMu

Angel: I'm hoping this will be a short chapter, because the summary I wrote in my outline is short, but I think that since a lot of things happen, it will mean a lot of paragraphs and therefore lotsa pages. -_-'  
Hee hee... when Valentines Day comes I WILL BE FOURTEEN! Dun dun dun dun dunn!!! *drum score* *silence* *crickets chirp* Eh heh... yeah. Oookay....  
I want to find a good YGO story to read. I have a list of favs a mile long (I just love The Sickness, The Red and Black Rivers, and Yugioh! Frontier) but I'm still searching for something different. I guess I want to find a story that has an "innocent" Yami Yugi, like what I like to write about. Most Yami-centered fics make him really stern and stuff or he's gay. o.O  
Time to wrap it up before this a/n becomes as long as last chaps. I do NOT own YGO. No further information required. (Why do we even need to do a disclaimer? Everyone knows the owners of YGO don't write YGO doujinshi. :-( )  
  
1. Yami 2. Hikari 3. Millennium Item 4. Yami's Power 5. Hikari's Power 6. Item's Power 7. Color  
  
1. Yugioh 2. Yugi Muto 3. Puzzle 4. Erm... I just call his power the "Power of the Millennium Seal" as in the signature, not the animal 5. Golden Detonation Beam and something I haven't named, mwahaha 6. Sends people to the Shadow Realm, does weird things, activates at Yami's will or Yugi's emotions 7. Yellow  
  
1. Kerihk 2. Ryou Bakura 3. Ring (it should have been the Millennium Dream Catcher ^-^) 4. ESP (aka the Balance) 5. ESP (Balance) and something else... What is it? It's a secret! *mwahaha* 6. Opens portals to the Shadow Realm, can detect other Millennium Items, can combine them (how? you'll see....), and anything else I decide it can do (with author powers!) 7. White (how ironic)  
  
1. Kiara 2. Hikaru Daichi 3. Pendant 4. Flight/Wind/Light 5. Eh... the light in the night? I dunno what to call Hikaru's power yet... 6. Makes light in darkness, senses when others are in trouble 7. Pink  
  
1. Setsuna 2. Ai Itsuko (her initials spell her name: A.I.!) 3. Mirror 4. Super-strength 5. Also superstrength, sometimes called the "Power of Love" cuz not only does "Ai" mean "love," but she can only use her superstrength when she's fighting for someone she loves 6. Shows other Item Bearers, shows foes, can reverse magic but it is dangerous to use it to get out of another realm cuz you might end up somewhere between the Real World and the Shadow Realm - in other words you're lost 7. Red (in Egypt red signifies evil but Setsuna and Ai are not evil so I'm using it to signify the American way - love)  
  
1. Ahmose 2. Takehiko Midori 3. Sword 4. Fire 5. Flame (how original) 6. Gets you out of sticky situations (I guess), makes the bearer an expert fighter when he uses it 7. Orange  
  
1. Ay 2. Dajan Hada 3. Key 4. Water 5. Eh, water as well 6. Unlocks any lock 7. Light Blue  
  
1. Himoko 2. Misaki Hikawa 3. Spoon 4. Healing 5. Healing (no duh) 6. Stops time 7. Navy  
  
1. Taidu 2. Tali Takada 3. Broach 4. Of neither world, acts as a go-betweener for the... um... fates? 5. Pretty much just a peacemaker 6. Taps into almost inaccessible magic 7. Green  
  
1. Zhur 2. Pegasus J. Crawford 3. Eye 4. Wouldn't you like to know 5. Like I'd tell you 6. Captures people's souls and a lot of other stuff that I don't feel like telling you 7. Shadowy Gray  
  
Hikari No Yuugi  
Play of Light  
  
by Angel  
  
Chapter Ten: Jimiru Maiho-mu  
Like My Home  
  
It was hard for Yugi-tachi to believe there was a restaurant on Duelist Kingdom, however remote it was. There weren't any waiters or chefs to be seen; Kaiba thought it had been a hangout for Pegasus's goons when they were hungry after scourging the island for defeated duelists.  
  
Even so, the fact remained that the restaurant was there. They decided to make good use of the predicament. They walked inside, flicked on a light, and found themselves in a quaint little den, complete with sleeping bags and a fire place. There was a small kitchen in the back which stored quite a bit of food, one room with a bed for the overseers to use when they stopped by, and a bathroom. (The kids all fought to be the first in the bathroom.)  
  
Kaiba had been carrying the injured, unconscious Yami in his arms the entire time they had been searching for a place to stay. The pharaoh was quite light, considering his small size, and thin, so it hadn't been too hard. Still, he couldn't help becoming weary after a while. He was glad when he could put Yami down on the bed in the little room and give his muscles a rest.  
  
Yami still had a fired-up look on his face, like he was dreaming intensely. This didn't concern Kaiba, though - it was his injuries he was worried about.  
  
"Here you go, Seto," Misaki said as she came up behind him. She handed him a wet wash cloth and some bandages she had found in a first aid kit in the bathroom.  
  
"Thanks," Kaiba replied, taking the wash cloth and dabbing the cuts on Yami's face, arms, and legs with it.  
  
Misaki watched him tenderly dress the still figure's wounds. She smiled. 'Much as he hates to admit it, I think Seto really likes Yami,' she thought. 'Why else would he be doing this?'  
  
"Can I help, Seto?" she asked.  
  
Kaiba looked at her for a minute. "Yes," he answered. "Keep the others away from here, especially Yugi. Don't tell him what kind of condition Yami is in. I think it's better if he doesn't worry himself too much."  
  
Misaki nodded and left.  
  
Kaiba turned back to Yami. He wiped the mud and caked blood off his face, all the while trying to figure out how he managed to hurt himself so badly in a duel. When he came to the burns from the fire he stopped, wondering how to treat them. Finally he applied cold water to the burns, which luckily were few and not very harsh, and placed gauze and bandages on all his injuries. There was nothing left but to wait for him to wake up.  
  
"Bakamono," Kaiba whispered. "You're so reckless. Think about the consequences to yourself once in while, why don't you?"  
  
Of course there was no response. Kaiba sighed. He knew Yami would be all right, but the waiting was killing him.  
  
'Oh well,' he thought. 'I guess I'd better go see what Mokuba is doing.'  
  
Before he left, he remembered to turn off the lights.  
  
~  
  
The night went by in a flash, considering as soon as Kaiba left Yami's room everyone took to the sleeping bags for some shut-eye. There were a couple less sleeping bags than there were kids, so Mokuba and Kaiba doubled up, as did Dajan and Takehiko. As soon as the lights were turned off, everyone fell asleep as soon as their head hit the pillow.  
  
Kaiba forced himself awake a few times in the night to check on Yami. By eleven Kaiba recognized a fever. He took a wet cloth and pressed it against Yami's forehead, wiping away beads of sweat. The pharaoh still seemed to be having a strange dream, but even so, Kaiba was surprised when he began to talk through his sleep.  
  
Still in a state of unconsciousness, Yami groaned and suddenly reached up with one feeble, shaking hand. He grasped Kaiba's wrist unknowingly. Kaiba felt his skin; it was cold and clammy.  
  
"Kia...ra..." Yami murmured, tears springing to his sleeping eyes. "I have to... Ryúnade... I must..."  
  
"Yami..." Kaiba whispered, astonished. Yami's grip on his wrist weakened, and his hand fell against the sheets. He spoke no more that night. Kaiba left very confused.  
Bakura was having a restless sleep as well. He tossed and turned in his sleeping bag, images sweeping across his unconscious mind.  
  
~*He couldn't tell where he was, but wherever it was, it was dark. And cold. Bakura shivered and hugged himself.  
  
He heard footsteps coming his way. A woman with long, flowing blonde hair and fierce, evil eyes was now standing a ways ahead of him. Curiously, Bakura watched the scene before him unfold.  
  
The woman clenched her fist. "I will have my revenge," she growled, "on the one who destroyed me - that wretched living Chalice of Life, Kiara!"  
  
Her head flew back, and she was engulfed by smoke. When the smoke cleared, she was nowhere to be seen.  
  
The vision wasn't over yet. Bakura saw glimpses of each of Pegasus's Dark Shadow Gamers through the fog.  
  
Iakara, Storm Gamer.  
Jyor-lang, Dusk Gamer.  
Kutu-shui, Dawn Gamer.  
Zhong-wan, Earth Gamer.  
Ching Din-ling, Melody Gamer.  
Kim Jo-jie, Ice Gamer.  
Yuu-tori, Ghost Gamer.  
Hiroshi, Battle Gamer.  
Kitai, Jeopardy Gamer.  
Chan Nan-da, Wood Gamer.  
  
Their faces were so cold, so lifeless. Yet their eyes gleamed with passion. They were from the Shadow Realm. How could it be possible that their existence was so real if they were merely the essence of lost souls in the dark world?  
  
The Dark Shadow Gamers disappeared in the same manner as the other woman had. In their place grew dark creatures with glowing red eyes. They opened their wide, fanged mouths and hissed at Bakura. All around them water was flowing.  
  
Bakura stepped back. The creatures advanced on him.  
  
"The power!" they shrieked. "We come for the power! Power of precognition!"  
  
Bakura's deep amber eyes widened in fear. One of the creatures lifted its clawed hand and swiped at Bakura's face. The cut stung and burned like anything. He winced, and let out an ear-splitting scream.  
  
"Aaaaaahh -" *~  
  
" - aaaaaaah!"  
  
The kids awoke with a start when Bakura's scream pierced the air. Bakura was sitting up in his sleeping bag, clutching his face as if it hurt him. Hikaru was the first to react; she rushed to him and yanked his hands from his face. She put her own small, gentle hands on his cheeks.  
  
"Ryou!" she cried. "Daijobu desu ka? Look at me, Ryou!"  
  
Yugi put his hands on Bakura's shaking back. "It's okay, Ryou. Really, it's okay. It was only a dream."  
  
Ai, Takehiko, and Dajan pulled themselves awake and joined the other three. Misaki and Tali stayed with Mokuba and Makiumura, who were rather frightened by Bakura's sudden outburst. Kaiba and Ro stood above the kids in confusion.  
  
"What happened?" Ro asked. "Why did you scream?"  
  
Bakura's head was back in his hands, but the pain had subsided and there wasn't a mark on his face. Could he have dreamed the pain too? It had been so real...  
  
He grimaced as he remembered the sickening appearance of those - those - creatures. He gulped, and searched for an explanation. Finally he said, "I'm - uh, sorry I woke you all up. I just had a nightmare, but I'm all right now."  
  
"Are you sure?" Ai inquired, worry in her voice.  
  
Bakura faked a smile and nodded. "Yes. Don't worry.  
  
Kaiba shook his head and turned around. "Well, if that's all the problem was, get back to bed, everyone," he instructed.  
  
Yugi looked up suddenly. "Kaiba..." His face was etched with worry. "Is Yami awake yet? How's he doing?"  
  
Kaiba looked away, trying to think of a way to tell Yugi without worrying him too much. "Still asleep," he answered slowly. "He's... got a fever, but I'm sure he'll be all right. His wounds are healing nicely. He should wake up tomorrow."  
  
Yugi's face tensed in anxiety. "Oh... I see."  
  
Kaiba stared sympathetically at Yami's light. "Don't worry. I know he'll be okay. Right?"  
  
Yugi gave a small smile. "Yeah."  
  
After that, everyone snuggled up in the covers of their sleeping bags and returned to dream land. Only Bakura and Yugi remained awake for a while after, Bakura brooding over his dream and Yugi worrying about his yami.  
  
/Please be all right, Yami,/ Yugi said mentally, sending his thoughts to Yami in hopes of a response. Receiving none, Yugi sighed and rolled over to face the other side. He found himself looking directly into Bakura's wide-open, deep amber eyes.  
  
Yugi smiled. "You're sure you're okay?" he whispered.  
  
"Um..."  
  
Yugi looked at him, concerned. "Remember what you, Hikaru, and I promised each other? We'd always be there for each other. So we'll tell each other when anything's wrong. OK?"  
  
Bakura gave him a grateful look. "Yes. To be honest, I'm not okay. My last dream proved true. I don't understand this one anymore than the last, but if I had been able to figure out what the first one meant then maybe yamis and hikaris would still be together right now. And then there are those black-outs I've been having... I've never had anything like that happen to me before."  
  
Yugi looked worried. "Didn't you say leukemia runs in your family?"  
  
"Yes, from my mother's side. Both my mom and Juri died from it."  
"... You don't think it's possible your black-outs might be a symptom..."  
  
Bakura furrowed his brow. "I don't think so," he said, but his face looked confused. "I know a lot about leukemia, and I don't remember ever hearing that black-outs are a symptom. I mean, once a person is deep in cancer's grasp, they might pass out sometimes, but not before they're diagnosed."  
  
Yugi looked relieved. "I'm glad for that! I wish there was a real cure for cancer."  
  
Bakura nodded. "Yeah. They have chemo and radiation, and other procedures. But nothing ensures a victim's survival." His face lit up. "That's why... when I graduate, I'll go to medical school and become a doctor who specializes in cancer treatment!"  
  
"Ah! So you can find a cure for it, in remembrance of your mother and sister?"  
  
"Yep! I don't know if I'll be able to find a cure, but I swear I'll find a way to at least improve treatments."  
  
"If anyone can find a cure, you can, Ryou," Yugi said happily. "It makes me happy thinking that your future occupation will be something that can help you overcome your pain. You can only get revenge for your mom's and sister's deaths by battling cancer in your own way. And while you're working for such a noble cause, you can be sure we'll all be there to back you up! Don't worry about your dreams, either. Everything will be all right."  
  
"Thank you, Yugi," Bakura smiled, curling up tighter in his sleeping bag. "Yami will be all right, too. You'll see!"  
  
"I know it. But now we really should get to sleep. Ryou oyasumi nasai."  
  
"Oyasumi nasai."  
  
The two boys buried themselves in their blankets, alone with their thoughts, until sweet sleep finally overtook them.  
  
***  
  
Upon awakening the next day, the kids set about making a big feast. The restaurant was deserted, that much was true, but in the kitchen they found a lot of food. They pitched together to make a delicious meal, laughing and enjoying their much-deserved vacation.  
  
Yugi, Hikaru, and Bakura were making hamburgers together. Yugi loved to play with the meat and roll it into balls, and Hikaru was great at seasoning the meat just right. Bakura fried some onions besides them, and when the hamburger meat was ready he grilled them as well.  
  
Ai, who was never far from Bakura, set about making vegetable goulash (a/n: ok, I have no idea if a fifteen-year-old would know how to make goulash, but whateva). She was caught watching Bakura several times by Takehiko and Dajan (neither of whom could cook, so they were setting the table), who sniggered and teased her silently. She picked up her skillet and waved it in front of their faces, all the while blushing fiercely.  
  
Tali and Misaki were preparing mashed potatoes, and Kaiba and Ro were helping Mokuba and Makimura with the only food they knew how to make - chocolate chip cookies. The kitchen was full of warmth and laughter it had never known when Pegasus's goons had dominated it.  
  
Hikaru sniffed the cookies that were already baking. "Mmm, they smell great, you two," she complimented. Mokuba and Makimura swelled with pride at the praise.  
  
"Your seasoning is great too, Hikaru," Yugi said.  
Hikaru blushed. "I'm really not that great of a cook. Hamburgers are my specialty. Everything else is usually a disaster."  
"You're being to hard on yourself." Yugi wagged his finger, but he was blushing too. "You're going to make someone a great wife someday, Hikaru."  
  
At that Hikaru turned even redder. She mumbled a "thank you" and busied herself with washing the cooking board.  
  
Yugi's face bore a dreamy look as he watched her. 'I never thought I could be this much in love,' he thought warmly. 'We just met, but I feel like I've known her all my life. She's so perfect!'  
  
Little did he realize Hikaru thought the same of him.  
  
At that moment, the group heard knocking at the door. Tali wiped her hands and said, "Now, who could that be?"  
  
"Be careful," Takehiko cautioned. "Don't forget that Pegasus has traps set all over the place."  
  
Yugi, Hikaru, Mokuba, and Makimura were left in charge of the kitchen while the others went to see who was at the door. Tali placed her hand on the doorknob and waited.  
  
"I don't think they heard us," a muffled voice said from outside.  
"Try knocking again," another voice suggested. Tali's eyes widened. She recognized that voice!  
  
She yanked the door open. "Taidu!" she exclaimed, flinging herself around her yami.  
  
Taidu laughed. "It's nice to see you too, aibou," she chuckled, returning Tali's embrace.  
  
Kaiba, Ro, and the hikaris gaped. There, next to Tali and Taidu, were all the lost yamis!  
  
"Himoko!"  
"Setsuna!"  
"Kerihk!"  
"Ay!"  
"Ahmose!"  
  
All the hikaris cried out and tackled their yamis in fits of laughter. Kaiba and Ro giggled uncontrollably, but Kiara stood off by herself. She looked up, trying to force her sad lavender eyes to dance like they usually do.  
  
"Seto," she asked quietly, "where's Hikaru?"  
  
Seto stared at her. She seemed... different. Her eyes looked so burdened. "She's... in the kitchen."  
  
"No, I'm not!"  
  
Everyone looked to the doorway. Hikaru stood there like a statue, gazing at Kiara is if in a trance. Tears pricked her large eyes.  
  
There was silence as the yami and hikari observed each other. Hikaru's lower lip trembled, and she let out a heart-breaking cry as she ran into Kiara's arms.  
  
"Kiara! You're here! You're here!"  
"Shi-n, watashi no ai..."  
  
Kiara pressed Hikaru against her body lovingly. "I missed you so much."  
Tears rolled down Hikaru's rosy cheeks. "I felt your pain... I was really worried."  
Kiara said nothing in response.  
  
They lead the yamis into the kitchen, chatting loudly about their adventures. Upon entering the kitchen, Mokuba and Makimura shrieked happily and bounced around, holding their freshly-baked cookies. Yugi whirled around with a cheery, "Uerukamutou! We were worried about you guys!"  
  
"Yugi-chan!" Kiara exclaimed, Hikaru's usual suffix rubbing off in her speech. She rushed at him with a hug. Cupping her hands around his reddening cheeks, she giggled, "How are you doing today, watashi no tenshi?"  
  
Yugi was blushing thoroughly. He could hear Hikaru laughing quietly in the background, and knew the looks on the faces of his friends were ones of amusement. "I'm doing good."  
  
"You're taking care of my aibou?"  
"Of course," Yugi replied meekly, redder than ever.  
  
Kiara patted his head a few times with a cute smile on her Egyptian face. "You're a good boy, Yugi," she complimented. Yugi wasn't sure how to react.  
  
The queen of Egypt suddenly grew serious. She looked directly into Yugi's beautiful eyes. "Yugi, where is your Yami?" she asked, hoping no spontaneous reaction would occur if the feeling in her gut that something was wrong with Yami proved true.  
  
Yugi's gaze traveled to the room where Yami still lay unconscious. He looked down, thinking of how to explain when he felt like he himself would begin to cry. He decided not to say anything, but took her hand and led her to the room.  
  
Kiara allowed herself to be pulled along by her brother's hikari, whom she was beginning love as much as her own aibou. She was confused by his actions, and feared the worst. When they reached the room where Yami slept, Yugi opened the door with a look of worry and guilt on his face.  
  
Curiously Kiara entered, while the others hung back. It was easy to spot her brother's small frame beneath the soft sheets of the bed. A shadow covered her eyes when she realized he was hurt. There were bandages on his face where the cuts had been opened and reopened many times during his battle with Jyor-lang. His hands were wrapped where the fire had scorches them, and his waist and ankles were also bandaged because the chains had sliced the skin. He looked tattered and pathetic to any human's mind, but to Kiara, he was still the most beautiful person ever.  
  
"Yami..." Kiara swooped down on him and brushed his face with her hand. She placed her ear to his chest and listened for a heartbeat. It was there, pulsing at its usual rate, a steady and comforting rhythm that soothed her soul. Kiara's and Yami's heartbeats had always been exactly the same, in more ways than one. It was part of the reason they were so close.  
  
She heard a gasp behind her. Setsuna and Himoko had decided not to gaze from afar, but instead get an up close view of the young pharaoh. Setsuna was the one who had gasped, her face displaying her fear.  
  
Kiara smiled. By now all the yamis except for Yami himself knew that Setsuna was in love with the king of Egypt. Yami hadn't the slightest clue she felt that way about him, but Kiara knew, and understood what Setsuna must be feeling.  
  
"Don't worry," she said gently to the Hebrew spirit. "His heartbeat is the same. It goes to the rhythm of the Nile, just as mine does."  
  
Setsuna still seemed doubtful. Himoko joined Kiara by his body and laid her hands on his face. There were very few times when she could entirely heal wounds, just make them less deep or not fatal. Hopefully, since the wounds had already had time to heal on their own, she could rid him of them for good. She closed her eyes and chanted a spell while the others looked on in silence.  
  
Moments later the spell was complete, and Himoko removed her hands. Smiling, she told the group, "He's going to be fine. The wounds are nearly gone, a lot of them have completely disappeared."  
  
Kiara breathed a sigh of relief, and Setsuna wiped the sweat from her upper lip. They took one last look at Yami, and exited his room.  
  
Kiara was the first to reach the doorway, and come face-to-face with Yugi. His gaze was steady and demanding, so much like her brother's. "Is he okay?" Yugi wanted to know. "Please tell me he's all right."  
  
Before she could open her mouth to answer, little Yugi burst into a flood of tears that rolled down his face in a concurrent stream. Kiara did the one thing that came naturally to her - she spread her arms open in the gesture for a hug. Gratefully Yugi rushed into her embrace, and laid his head on her shoulder. Salty tears fell on the pink material of Kiara's jacket. She held the boy close to her just as Yami would have done if he hadn't been injured. Then again, if he hadn't been injured, Yugi wouldn't be crying right now.  
  
She picked him up, surprised by her own strength. She really wasn't that much taller than Yugi, but somehow she knew she could carry him. She took him to the nearest chair and sat down, cradling him in her arms. Tenderly she spoke to him and reminded him that everything would be all right. Everything would always be all right.  
  
The sobs kept sounding long after the tears had ended. Yugi's minute body shook and ached. Kiara massaged his shoulders, comforting him. Yugi opened his eyes when he realized she was singing. It was an Egyptian song he didn't recognize, but the accent rolled off her tongue like a poem. Her soprano voice was gentle and harmonious, like her heart. He looked up at her.  
  
"Kiara, your voice is amazing," he whispered between sobs, which were becoming quieter by the second.  
  
The princess smiled. "Don't tell," she whispered back. "I'm afraid I don't sing much anymore. Not even Hikaru has heard me. There are reasons, but I'll throw those reasons away for Hikaru or Yami, or even you, Yugi. Like I said, you're a good boy."  
  
It was amazing, Ai thought, that a yami and hikari who weren't partners could be so tender with one another. Hikaru didn't look jealous in the least; rather, she seemed relieved that Yugi was finally letting go of all the pain inside him.  
  
Eventually everyone else migrated to the kitchen to give Yugi and Kiara a moment alone, but Setsuna lingered behind. She looked at Yami's door. Her heart yearned to go back in that room and make everything okay. Kiara had been saying for a long time that everything would be all right. They asked her why, but she just said, "It just will. Trust me. Everything will be all right." Setsuna wanted to make sure it was.  
  
She wanted him so badly. If Zhur didn't drive her crazy with all his tricks, her unrequited love for Yami would. How could she fall in love with him? Why was she so cursed?  
  
Hesitantly she opened his door, then quickly looked around to make sure no one was watching. Kiara and Yugi were still lost in their own world. The others were setting the table in the kitchen. She was alone with the still body of her love.  
  
Of course she walked in. Of course she gazed at his face with the eyes of a lover who knew they loved the most perfect being in the world. To her eyes, that was what he is. She realized she was turning into a copy of Kiara, who firmly believed her brother could do no wrong. Setsuna didn't quite believe that - she was a strong girl and didn't idolize the male gender the way most of the girls in her time had. She knew he made mistakes. That was part of why she loved him and thought he was perfect. Perfect people weren't people who didn't make mistakes. They were people who could right them with a cheerful and remorseful heart.  
  
She hated herself at the moment. She hated that she even had a heart. She had a bad temper and ill disposition, at least that was how she saw herself. She knew now that her friends accepted and loved her, but she felt guilty that they did when she could be so mean. How could she fall in love with Yami? He was wonderful and adorable in every way. Their personalities were opposite. Completely and undeniably opposite. Even the dumbest person in the world could tell you that.  
  
The thing was, she knew he would never love her back. Yami was carefree and naive beyond imagination. He had a head for dueling strategies and not much else. It was true he was great at practically everything back in Egypt, and the only thing he didn't seem to know how to do in this century was work the telephone (Setsuna personally despised the ringing object that made her jump every time it made that obnoxious noise). He loved his friends but emotions were foreign to him. He just went with the flow and did what his heart told him without second guesses. He couldn't fall in love because if he did, he would never realize it.  
  
Besides, she didn't deserve him. She knew that. Knew that. But she could content herself with watching from afar, couldn't she?  
  
By now she was by his bedside, looking at his serene face with a loving tenderness no one outmatched but his mother (and possibly, Setsuna added when she thought about it, his adorable hikari and ever-adoring sister). Despite the bandages and caked dirt, she would have to agree with Kiara - he was beautiful.  
  
She should pull away now, before she did something she would regret later. She couldn't have him, it didn't matter how much she wanted him! But he was right there. His lips were right there. He would never know, he was asleep. Asleep and dreaming things she couldn't imagine.  
  
Gently she leaned forward and brushed his cheek with one tanned finger. His skin felt warm, which was a good sign. She brought her face to his and lightly kissed his lips. Heat rose to his face. He was unconscious, obviously, and didn't tighten the kiss. She didn't mind. She enjoyed the feeling of warmth in her heart.  
  
All at once she realized what she was doing. She panicked and moved away a little too quickly, tripping over a wastebasket on the floor. She screamed and toppled over.  
  
With a jolt, Yami awoke at long last. He heard voices cry as they entered the room, but the picture was disoriented. The outline of Kiara helped Setsuna up. Yugi - was that him? He couldn't tell - was pushing the wastebasket remains back inside. He blinked and shifted his head.  
  
The king searched for his voice. "Where..." His voice cracked. "Where am I?"  
  
Many pairs of eyes were set upon him. He blinked innocently. He noticed the shocked looks on everyone's faces, and how bright red Setsuna was.  
  
A smile broke across Yugi's face and he bounded to his yami's side. "Yami! You're awake! Finally!" He was bouncing up and down in sheer bliss. He hugged Yami tightly and nearly cut off his oxygen supply.  
  
"Hey Seto, Yami's come around!" Takehiko shouted.  
  
Yami closed his eyes. He'd missed a lot, that much he knew.  
  
'Heh,' he thought. 'Oxymoron.'  
  
***  
  
Yami's head had stopped spinning and he was feeling well enough to absorb the information on what had happened. Everyone was relieved to have the old Yami back that they willingly answered all his questions.  
  
"First of all, where are we and how did we get here?" Yami asked, back to his demanding and confident self.  
  
Yugi giggled. "We're at one of those places Pegasus's goons use as a hang-out when they are done with their jobs for the day. It's abandoned, but there's lots of food in the kitchen and stuff. As to how we got here, well, after you defeated Jyor-lang, you passed out. Kaiba, Mokuba, Ro, Makimura, Misaki, and Tali arrived a while later, and Kaiba carried you here. This is the only bed, so since you were hurt we decided to let you use it."  
  
Yami looked up at Kaiba, who was pretending he hadn't heard what Yugi had said about him. "Thank you," he said. "I must have been a burden for you to carry all that way."  
  
"It was nothing," Kaiba replied hastily. "You're skin and bones. I don't understand how you walk, there is practically nothing on you. You were light."  
  
Yami said nothing, only frowned in puzzlement. Kaiba noticed his cheeks were red. He bent over to scan his face.  
  
"How are you feeling?" he asked. "The last time I checked, you were running a fever." He placed a hand on Yami's forehead, and then felt his neck and cheeks. "Yes. You're still warm. You should probably rest some more."  
  
"I'm fine." Yami removed Kaiba's hand, bewildered that the CEO was so concerned about him. He smiled wider so as not to worry his friends. "So, how long have I been asleep for?"  
  
The hikaris looked at Ai, who was wearing a watch. "Well, we were all separated about two days ago," she said. "You and Jyor-lang dueled from ten o'clock yesterday until eleven. That was when you passed out. It is now..." (here she checked the time)"... twelve-thirty the day after, which means you slept for more than twenty-four hours."  
  
Yami looked astonished. Had he really spent a whole day sleeping? He thought back to his ten-year-old birthday, when he had gone out in the rain and caught a cold, which agitated the malaria virus in a mosquito bite of his. The next day he was stricken with the deadly virus and couldn't get out of bed. He fell asleep and when he woke up, he found out his sister was turning ten that day and he had turned eleven while he was still sleeping. It had horrified him to think he had spent a year of his life in a coma. Was it a natural trait of his to always sleep for long periods of time? He supposed so. He loved to sleep.  
  
Wait a second. How had he remembered that? "How... how..."  
  
Taidu knew his thoughts and answered, "While you slept, you regained each of your memories. I know they were hard to go through again, but these guys -" she gestured to the other yamis "- went through it while they were awake. It was very hard for them."  
  
Kiara blushed prettily and shifted her gaze to Kerihk, who was avoiding her eyes. Setsuna made sure Yami couldn't catch sight of her face, and Ay, Himoko, and Ahmose looked at their feet sadly.  
  
"You mean we all have our memories back know?" Yami sucked in his breath. How much had happened since his last memory!  
  
At that moment Mokuba dashed into the room. "Guys, Makimura is putting food on the table. It's time to eat."  
  
"Finally!"  
"I'm starving."  
"I hope you didn't poison the vegetable goulash, Ai, since it seemed like you were so absorbed with Bakura to notice what you were doing."  
  
Ai slapped Dajan across the face. Bakura raised a questioning eyebrow. He didn't know she had a crush on him.  
  
"You should stay here and rest some more," Kaiba said to Yami.  
"No, that's okay," Yami responded. "I'm fine, really."  
"You've still got a fever. You're not fine."  
"Yes, I am. But even if I wasn't, I can't stay here any longer. I've already held you guys up long enough. We have to reach Pegasus before he hurts our friends!"  
"He'll keep them safe until we get there, trust me. It's you I'm in charge of, not them."  
"In charge of? What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
Kaiba was visibly embarrassed and angry now. "It means I'm the one everyone left to take care of you, and if I say you should stay, then you're going to stay!"  
  
"Well, we'll let the two of you handle this one," Misaki said hurriedly. She grabbed Tali's hand, muttering something like, "Tali, would you like to serve the food with me?" Tali took the hint and helped Misaki push everyone out the door. Yugi waved once more to Yami before Tali shut the door behind them.  
  
Now the two arch-rivals were alone with each other. Kaiba looked at Yami and crossed his arms. Yami looked back and mimicked the action.  
  
Scowling, Kaiba declared, "You are staying."  
Yami smoothed the blankets furiously. "No! I'm not tired! And you don't have any right to order me around!"  
"You just don't like playing the invalid."  
"Look, I feel fine! The fever will go away soon."  
"Not if you don't rest and regain your energy."  
"But we have to get to Pegasus's castle! Kaiba, think about it! We've lost a lot of time already! We can't -"  
"YUGIOH!"  
  
Yami clamped his mouth shut in surprise. Kaiba had actually called him by his full name! As he studied the figure of the CEO, Yami was surprised at how much he resembled his former self, the High Priest Semaret. Of course he always LOOKED like Semaret, but Yami could now remember instances in his past when he had been refusing to do something and Semaret had yelled just as firmly and solidly as he did now. In response, Yami's reaction was the same as it was 5000 years ago. He backed down meekly, silent and waiting for his mentor to continue.  
  
Kaiba had surprised himself by his sudden outburst. His past life was stimulating his thoughts. Had he really just called Yami by his true name? The name that meant "Game King." Kaiba never wanted to admit that Yami was the Game King, but here he was, confessing it in his own little way.  
  
He took a deep breath. "You have got to stay here, for your own good. Of course you shouldn't set off tomorrow with an empty stomach, so I'll bring you some food in here today. Tomorrow we will be having breakfast before leaving, and with any luck you'll be up before dinner today, too. But you need to stay in here for at least another hour. Even just lying down will help you gain your strength. Much as I hate to admit it... we need you. We really do."  
  
Yami considered Kaiba's words. He looked up hopefully. "You do promise we leave tomorrow?"  
  
Kaiba shifted the weight on one leg to the other. "Well... it depends how you're doing."  
  
"Promise me we'll leave tomorrow no matter what, and I'll agree to what you said."  
  
Kaiba sighed, exasperated. "Fine! We're leaving tomorrow. Promise."  
  
Yami grinned.  
  
"But for now, you have to rest up. I'll bring you some food."  
  
Now the prince of Egypt put on his pouting face. Kaiba raised an eyebrow, but Yami just sulked even more.  
  
Kaiba gave a ghost of a smile. "You know..."  
"What?"  
"... You look really cute when you're mad."  
  
Yami's curses could be heard all across the island.  
  
***  
(a/n: love those asterisks!!! ^-^ Okies, almost finished here...)  
  
Everyone was amazed that the kids could cook, or that the food would taste so superb. It probably only tasted so delicious because of how hungry everyone was, but even so, their tummies were made extremely happy.  
  
After lunch, Hikaru and Kiara volunteered to do the dishes. Bakura offered to help as well, and began clearing the table. Kerihk stepped between his hikari and the two girls.  
  
"Let us take care of it," he said to Kiara and Hikaru. "Seriously. Go on."  
"Oh no, it's okay," Hikaru began, but Kiara interrupted her.  
"All right," she said. In a whisper she added so only Kerihk could hear, "Go for it. Be careful what you say. Just remember that you love him." At the word love, she blushed again.  
  
Kerihk nodded. "I'll try."  
  
Kerihk joined Bakura at the sink while the others left. His hikari didn't meet his eye. Kerihk debated what subject of small talk he could use. Finally he said, "Why do we need to clean these dishes? We're not coming back here."  
  
"We don't know that," the silver-haired hikari responded, never turning his head. "We could come back if something happens and we need to regroup. Besides, we don't want to let Pegasus know we've been here."  
  
Kerihk turned on the faucet and dabbed the plates with a sponge. "I still say this is pointless. It's a waste of time. Who wants to spend their day cleaning? Not me!"  
  
"No one asked you to help," Bakura interrupted, a little harsher than he'd meant.  
  
Kerihk was startled. He kept cleaning silently and didn't speak again. Bakura felt a little guilty, but then noticed that his yami was trying to talk. Kerihk couldn't seem to find the words, so curious Bakura decided it must be something private and painful that he was afraid others would hear.  
  
/What is it?/ he asked through their mental link.  
//...// Kerihk took a deep breath. He had to say something, it was important. //... You know when people say one thing... but really mean another?//  
/Yeah?/ What was the tomb robber getting at?  
//Well, sometimes the person can be... really, really mean and cold-hearted... you know... and make people think they just don't care, but... sometimes people don't know the truth... you know, the person's past and how their lives are now... they just make assumptions...//  
/You mean like Malik?/  
  
Kerihk's face contorted into a look of surprise. //I suppose so, but I wasn't thinking of him.//  
  
/Oh. Well, I was just wondering how he was doing before, so I guess he's still kind of on my mind. I hope he isn't in any trouble with any Millennium Item seekers. I wonder if he's getting along with his yami at all./  
  
Kerihk wished they could change the subject. //I'm sure Malik and Sahure are doing fine,// he said impatiently. (Sahure was Yami Malik's real name.)  
  
/I hope so, but they always seem to be fighting. Now that Malik knows it was Sahure who actually killed his father, he must have some ill feelings./  
//It isn't like you know why Sahure did what he did!// Kerihk hissed. Bakura had no idea how much his words were hurting the tomb robber. //You don't know what his life was like back in Egypt!//  
/It's no reason to kill his hikari's father!/  
//How would you know?//  
/Would you have killed MY father if you thought it could get me to more willingly help you collect the Millennium Items?/  
  
Kerihk's face paled, and his sharp eyes were filled with contempt. He slammed a plate down on the counter a little too hard, causing it to break. //You little baka!// he cried as he picked up the pieces of glass.  
  
Bakura was taken-aback by his yami's forcefulness. As Kerihk continued, Bakura heard his voice waver and crack in his head.  
  
//You don't KNOW what it was like back there! For him and me, it was a living nightmare! How can you accuse me of ever killing your father? Do you know what it means to me?//  
/I know you would do anything to collect the Millennium Items!/  
//Shaddap! You know what? I thought that in a lot of ways we're the same! You lost your mother and your little sister, well I lost my entire family! But we're not the same! I wanted to tell you...Boku wo shinjite sakasou! But maybe you can't. Maybe I'm just too lost to be of any use to you now. Not that I care. Kayoi nareta michi ni mayoi komu kono goro, tachimukau watashi no tamashii. If you can't even understand me then there is no point to this conversation. I'm just going to leave you alone from now on. I will!//  
  
Kerihk felt a lump rise to his throat no matter how hard he tried to suppress it. Bakura was one step ahead of him, and tears were already falling.  
  
'No!' Kerihk thought in dismay. Could he despise himself any more? 'When will it all stop? Everyone is crying so much lately! I want them to always smile. It's ME who ought to be miserable, but I'm just the cause of everyone's misery!'  
  
"If that's how you feel, then fine!" Bakura shouted. "I... I just don't care! And you're right, I don't understand you! I don't understand how you can be so - so - hateful!"  
  
He turned and bolted out of the room, past Kiara, Yugi, and Hikaru on the couch, past Ay and Ahmose who were collecting provisions, right out the door and into the forest. He flung himself around a try and cried, all the while wondering why he was cursed with an unfeeling yami. He grabbed the Millennium Ring and held it to his face, tears streaming down his pale skin.  
  
"I hate you," he sobbed. "I hate you..."  
  
*  
  
Tears brimmed Kerihk's eyes as he finished the washing vigorously. He remembered how he had been responsible for this chore in Egypt. He had been a slave of Pharaoh Ramses's, not to mention Yami's personal attendant. At home, his mother was dead and his father was never around, so whenever he was privileged to go home he would take care of the dishes to give his brother, Thutmose, a break. He hated it. He loathed it. Pharaoh Ramses didn't care about his people, and the grand vizier, Zhur, only inflicted more pain on his subjects.  
  
Droplets fell from his deep amber eyes. His little hikari didn't know what he had gone through, but it wasn't like he had never asked. Kerihk just never chose to tell him. Couldn't Bakura see it was painful to talk about it?  
  
"Kerihk..."  
  
It was Yami's voice. Kerihk spun around, amazed to see the weary, feverish pharaoh in the kitchen.  
  
"Pharaoh!" he croaked. "What are you doing up? Kaiba will kill you!"  
"I heard Ryou shout. What's wrong?" Yami inquired. His voice sounded tired and hoarse.  
"Nothing. We had an argument. Don't worry about it, I'm taking the blame."  
"What do you mean, you're taking it?"  
  
Kerihk rolled his eyes. "Please, I know you, like everyone else, know that I am cold-hearted and cruel. I'm ready to accept that and live up to everyone's standards. If you don't believe me, I'll throw a plate at you. Then we'll see if you believe me."  
  
"You mean you're just giving up?" Yami looked puzzled. "But you love Ryou."  
  
Kerihk made a hissing sound. Yami didn't take it as a good sign. He sighed.  
  
"You do you know."  
"Do what?"  
"Love him. He's your aibou, and he loves you too. You have to forgive him, he doesn't know."  
"Then why would he run away?"  
"Well..." Yami smiled gently. "You're not that great with words, Kerihk."  
  
Kerihk glared at him for a long time. Then, all at once, he began to laugh. He shook his head while wiping his hands on a towel. When he began to speak again, he was different. He was like the Kerihk he knew in Egypt, not the selfish, contemptuous Kerihk they had come to know and loathe.  
  
"You really are watching, aren't you?" he said. "I want Bakura to trust me. I just don't think I deserve it."  
  
With a happy grin, Yami answered with honesty, "I think that's for him to decide."  
  
*  
  
Yugi hurried after Bakura as fast as he could go. 'Why is he so upset?' the small boy wondered. 'I hope everything is okay.'  
  
"Ryou?" Yugi called. He saw the boy leaning against a tree nearby. His eyes were red and puffy from crying. Yugi hurried over to him. "Are you okay?"  
  
"No, I'm not okay!" Ryou sobbed angrily. "Why is he so mean? What did I do to make him hate me? I just wanted to be his friend! That will never happen, will it? Will it, Yugi?"  
"Maybe," Yugi answered slowly, guessing his friend was talking about Kerihk. "It could happen, you know. Maybe you just had some kind of misunderstanding."  
"Shyeah! And how?"  
"Listen, Ryou. All the yamis just got their memories back. Do you think, possibly, Kerihk remembers something very painful that happened to him, and whatever it was you two were talking about back there affected him and caused him to act meanly towards you?"  
  
Bakura looked up menacingly. "He's always mean to me."  
  
//Yugi,// the raspy voice of Yami said through the mental like he shared with Yugi.  
/What is it?/ Yugi asked.  
//Kerihk and Ryou had an argument, something to do with Malik. If you want to help Ryou out, tell him about trust.//  
/Trust? What do you want me to tell him about trust?/  
  
Bakura waited while Yugi spoke to Yami. He looked like he was in a trance, but since Bakura had a Millennium Item of his own, he knew what it looked like when a hikari corresponded with his yami.  
  
After Yugi got all the details from Yami, he turned to Bakura and smiled. "Ryou, when your mother and little sister died, how did you feel?" he asked softly.  
  
The silver-haired couldn't understand where this was going, but he confessed, "Terrible. Can't you imagine that? I felt like everyone was leaving me, like they were all going off to a new world and I had to be left behind. My dad just never talks about it... I can't talk to him about much with him because after Mom and Juri's death, he just kind of shut himself up."  
  
Yugi was having a hard time prolonging the subject when it was so tormenting for Bakura. "Did you feel like you couldn't easily trust anyone afterwards?"  
  
"No! Of course not..." Bakura's eyes widened when he grasped what he was saying. "I did, actually. I felt like... if I let myself get close to someone, they would just leave me too. A while later, I made friends with Malik, and even then we had to say good-bye when he went back to Egypt. I've always had a hard time making friends, not because I try to be mean or unsociable, but because I'm afraid to reach out."   
  
"Yes... well, d'you think.. maybe... you're not the only one who feels that way?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Bakura cocked his head. "I mean, I know there are others who feel the same way, but..."  
  
"Yami told me Kerihk lost his entire family while in Egypt," Yugi continued quietly. Bakura's face turned white. "His best friend also betrayed him, and he lost his life protecting Yami from Zhur's attack. After all that, it would take a really, really strong person not to fall into despair and distrust. Kerihk must have spent a long time living in fear to trust you. Now he wants to, but doesn't think you can trust him. Ryou... please forgive him. I - I don't know what else to say."  
  
There was a long pause. Yugi looked down guiltily, and Bakura didn't budge from his seat on the ground. He was considering Yugi's words and thinking of how much it must have hurt Kerihk to lose his whole family. A silent tear trickled down his cheek.  
  
"Should I leave?" Yugi asked in a hushed voice.  
  
Bakura nodded. Yugi turned to go.  
  
"Yugi -"  
"What is it?"  
  
A smile crossed Bakura's face. "Thank you."  
  
***  
(a/n: *huff* *huff* *huff* The marathon is nearly done... *huff* huff* *huff*)  
  
Kaiba caught Yami out of bed talking to Kerihk. After scolding Kerihk for not sending him back to bed, he practically carried Yami to the guest room and this time locked the door. Yami laughed when he saw the key turn in the lock, remembering times in Egypt when he had refused to stay in bed so Semaret had locked him in. He fell into a sound, refreshing sleep after that, and come dinner time, he was still in bed.  
  
Ay peered over his still body. "Should we wake him? The food is done," he inquired of Kaiba.  
  
Kaiba shook his head. "He didn't each much of his lunch, and I doubt he's any hungrier now. But tomorrow he'll eat like a horse, so you'd better save him his share of the meal tonight just in case tomorrow's breakfast doesn't suffice."  
  
Ay tucked the covers around the former pharaoh's shoulders, an action he would never have dared to do if the prideful king had been awake. Although the hikaris only knew Yami to be confident, strong and courageous, all the yamis knew how child-like he could be when he wasn't dueling or focused on an upcoming battle. They each had a soft spot for the son of Egypt, and liked to show affection towards him - when he wasn't awake, that is.  
  
"You've really changed, Kaiba," Bakura said. The three of them had gone to see if Yami wanted dinner. "You used to hate both Yugi and Yami. Then you started to tolerate Yugi, but still loathe Yami. How come you suddenly like him so much?"  
  
Kaiba blushed in embarrassment. "I don't!" he snapped. "We just need him for this. That's all. I don't care about him at all."  
  
Ay looked at Bakura and winked knowingly.  
  
During dinner, the table was a bustle of chatter and laughter as the kids settled down for their last peaceful night. The only two who weren't speaking much were Kerihk and Bakura, who would sneak peeks at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. Kerihk really wanted to apologize for their fight, but kept holding himself back; his prideful streak had not been conquered. Bakura wasn't sure how he should begin a conversation with Kerihk.  
  
Bakura wasn't the only one thinking of the white-haired thief. Across the table, seated between Ahmose and Hikaru, was Kiara. She couldn't keep her mind off of her love for Kerihk. She really wished she wasn't in love, because it changed everything. But now it was too late - she had fallen and fallen hard.  
  
Ahmose noted her silence and made fun of it. "Hey Kiara, why so glum? Did the Queen of Randomness actually run out of uninteresting topics to bore the council with?" he joked.  
  
Kiara seemed to snap out of a trance. "Huh? Oh... yeah, I guess so."  
  
Ahmose looked doubtful. "Seriously, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned. "I haven't seen you so silent in ages."  
  
"You wouldn't understand," Kiara sighed. She smiled. "But don't worry. It will be taken care of."  
  
Yugi swallowed his mouthful of chicken. "OK, but just tell us if you're worried about anything."  
  
"Yeah, Yugi wouldn't want anything to happen to his girlfriend's yami," Takehiko sniggered.  
"Of course he doesn't, Takehiko! Don't you know that he is secretly in love with Kiara and is just using Hikaru as a way to her heart?" Dajan put in, laughing hysterically.  
"You two are asking for a knuckle sandwich," Yugi growled, but he was pleased to see Hikaru giggling.  
  
Misaki and Tali were talking to Ai about the latest Kaiba Corp invention while Setsuna listened with semi-interest. Kaiba and Ro got involved soon, which was Tali's plan. She started trying to beg Kaiba to invent a matchmaker game.  
  
Kaiba sighed in frustration. "I don't know the first thing about love!" he cried. "How can I make a game with it?"  
"Simple," Tali said with a grin. He had fallen into her trap. "Just have Misaki make the game with you and everything will be good."  
  
It took a moment for Tali's imply to register in Kaiba's and Misaki's minds. When it had, they both turned bright red (a/n: they do that a lot) and turned away from each other. Tali laughed and Taidu winked at Himoko. Setsuna just rolled her golden eyes.  
  
Half-way through dinner, Kiara couldn't take the tension between herself and Kerihk anymore. She pushed back her chair and quickly walked out of the room and out the door, much to the dismay of her friends.  
  
Hikaru was the first to make sense of what had just happened. She slid out of her chair. "I'll be back. I want to see what's wrong." With that, she skipped outside, leaving the others just as confused as before.  
  
*  
  
Kiara sat down on a bench beneath a tree, letting the wind play with her hair and kiss her face. She hugged herself and shivered, even though it was relatively warm out.  
  
"Kiara?"  
  
The princess caught her hikari's eyes. She beamed at her. "Nan desu ka, aibou?" she asked.  
  
Hikaru settled herself besides Kiara and leaned against her chest. Kiara slipped and arm around Hikaru's small body and held her close.  
  
"What's the matter, Kiara?" Hikaru mumbled lovingly. "You seem so distant lately. Is it just because you're worried about Pegasus's power, or is it something else?"  
  
Kiara sighed, blowing hair out of her face. "I can't lie to you," she murmured. "All right, here's the truth - I'm in love."  
  
Hikaru's wide lavender eyes shifted to gaze at Kiara's beautiful face. "In love?" she repeated. "That's neat. With who?"  
  
Smirking, the princess twirled a lock of rich brown hair. "Would you believe Kerihk?"  
  
Hikaru gaped at her, amazed. "Really? That's awesome!"  
  
"Well, he's awesome anyway," Kiara chuckled. She frowned. A shadow seemed to cover her face. "I can't have him, though." Her voice was like a whisper of wind, coming and going before anyone realized it was there.  
  
"You can't?" Hikaru echoed, cocking her head in quandary. "Why not?"  
  
Kiara gave a longing sign that was more like a moan. "Hikaru... I just can't fall in love."  
"Koi ni ochite kawatteku no mo ii ne."  
"I know that... but, oi! Kotoba dekinai iu jibun na. You wouldn't understand. I'm not allowed to fall in love."  
"Not allowed?" Why wouldn't she stop repeating everything Kiara said? "Of course you're allowed."  
"I'm not, Hikaru - I'm just not!"  
  
Kiara jumped to her feet and rushed to the nearest tree. She placed her palms on its rough bark and leaned her head against her hands. She seemed to be battling inwardly.  
  
She looked over her shoulder at her anxious hikari. "Gomen nasai," she said hoarsely. "I do love him. I guess you never know. Maybe those feelings will stop coming and I'll forget... but it feels like they won't stop building up inside me... doushite mo iya menai kedo. If not, then I'll figure something knew out. I don't know. Maybe love can last anything. Maybe it can't."  
  
Hikaru placed a hand on Kiara's back. "Don't worry. I know it can. I know it can."  
  
The hikari and yami stood in thoughtful silent as the night overtook Duelist Kingdom.  
  
***  
  
Night had come like a blanket overlapping a sleeping body. The hikaris and yamis all went to their designated sleeping places - couches, chairs, or (if they were lucky), sleeping bags. Everyone was ready for a good night's rest to re energize and set off early the next morning.  
  
Ai undid her ponytail and let her long brown hair fall gracefully down her back. She noticed Takehiko and Dajan watching it fall hungrily, but Bakura took no notice. Disappointed, she lay down her head, trying to think of a way to get him to notice her.  
  
Bakura was certainly feeling preoccupied, but even if he hadn't been he still wouldn't have cared about the way Ai's hair spread all across the pillow. He was still troubled by his argument with Kerihk, and lay awake for a long time after the lights were turned out, just like he had the night before. He rolled over on his side and closed his eyes.  
  
A finger poked his back lightly, and his eyes snapped open. He sat up to find out that the finger belonged to Kerihk. Kerihk's hair was falling over his eyes, hiding the sorrow and hurt he felt. He was so full of emotion that even though he tried to hide it, Bakura felt that his spirit was strained. He was shocked that he felt such a strong connection with his yami.  
  
The stared into each other's matching eyes. Suddenly they both spoke out, "I'm sorry, I didn't know!"  
  
Kerihk blinked. "Bakura, I feel really -"  
  
Bakura placed a finger at his lips. "It's okay," he said. "Don't talk about it. Are we friends? Friends who can... trust each other?"  
  
Kerihk beamed at him affectionately. "Yes, of course, hikari."  
  
"If that's the case... call me Ryou."  
  
The silver-haired yami nuzzled his hikari's forehead. Bakura enjoyed the tender moment, knowing even now that they would be rare. "Good-night, Kerihk."  
  
"Good-night... aibou."  
  
The two were finally able to fall deeply and peacefully asleep after that, their minds free of worry and fear. Kerihk felt joy in his heart. He didn't care if anyone else thought he was cold-hearted, all that mattered was his hikari's opinion. Bakura was glad he finally had Kerihk for a friend, like he'd always wanted.  
  
They were sure they had been alone for that loving moment, but one other had witnessed it. Yugi felt glad that Bakura and Kerihk were at last getting along together, but his heart sank when he thought of Yami. Most of the hikaris and yamis were sleeping near each other, their presence comforting their other half. Yugi was the only one whose dark half wasn't nearby.  
  
Slowly he sat up and made sure Kaiba was asleep. He got to his feet and tiptoed away, soon reaching the door of the room where Yami slept. He turned the knob. It wouldn't budge; Kaiba had locked it. Luckily Kaiba had left the key on a nearby chair, so he picked it up and tried to fit it into the slot. After numerous tries he finally managed to open the door, and as he did so it creaked noisily. He stopped to make sure no one was awake. All that happened was Ahmose turning over in his sleep with a grunt, so Yugi quietly stole into the room. Fleet and silent as a deer he closed the door, breathing a sigh of relief.  
  
The pharaoh's hikari tiptoed to Yami's bedside and gently placed his hand on Yami's forehead. He was glad the fever was beginning to go down.  
  
"Yami," he whispered, tracing his best friend's cheekbones.  
  
The only he received was a content smile as Yugi's finger slid down his neck. Yugi took that as an invitation and climbed into bed with Yami. He pressed his face against Yami's chest and breathed deeply, finally feeling sweet sleep come upon him. Now he was sure he was safe.  
  
Now he was sure everything would be all right.  
  
*  
  
A/N: DONE! DUN DUN DUN... DUN DUN!!! So much for this being short. Lessee... without including the author's note or the info on the characters, this chapter is... nineteen pages, I think. Shorter than usual (thankfully). I promise I'll try my best to cut back on beginning author's notes.  
  
Joey: You'd better!  
  
Tea: Cuz they're pointless and they drive everyone nuts!  
  
Angel: *whines* But I like them! *brightens* Weren't Bakura and Kerihk cute with each other? Reminder - THIS IS NOT, NOT, NOT SHONEN AI!!! It is all completely a friendship fic, or else its girl/boy. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?  
  
Yami and Yugi: Sir, yes, sir!  
  
From the Desk of Ahmose, son of Ramose, Warrior of Egypt:  
  
-tachi - and company  
bakamono - stupid person  
daijobu desu ka - are you all right  
oyasumi nasai - good-night  
shi-n, watashi no ai - shh, my love  
uerukamutou - welcome  
watashi no tenshi - my angel  
boku wo shinjite sakasou - you can trust me  
kayoi nareta michi ni mayoi komu kono goro - at this moment, I am lost in the familiar streets  
tachimukau watashi no tamashii - to fight against my spirit  
nan desu ka - what is it  
koi ni ochite kawatteku no mo ii ne - but a chance to fall in love isn't a bad idea  
oi - hey  
kotoba dekinai iu jibun na - words cannot say enough  
gomen nasai - I'm sorry  
doushite mo iya menai kedo - no matter how I am unable to deny them  
  
(Some of these phrases are right out of the Japanese YGO theme song, "Kawaita Sakebi," by Field of View ^-^)  
  
No CHARACTER OF THE DAY today because I am sick of this chapter (I think it was reeeeeeally boring).  
  
Next time: Chapter Eleven, Tsuyosa no Enjin (as told by Yami): Well, I'm feeling great today! Anyway that is what I told Kaiba. We left to go searching for Pegasus's castle, but instead that good-for-nothing nutcase with the Millennium Eye played a nasty trick on the hikaris - he made them act out a play in front of the rest of us! It was extremely embarrassing, especially for me since Hikaru's freaky character was created to be like me (I am so going to kill Zhur when I see him). But right in the middle of the performance, the stage went dark! The yamis created a Circle of Power so they would keep together, but Ay and Kerihk broke off! Meahwhile, the hikaris tried to find each other, and Hikaru managed to meet up with Ryou and Yugi. Two oracles arrived and spoke to them about much, including Ryou's dreams. Then we were broke back to the real world, only to be separated once again! There's no such thing as a free lunch for our crew, it seems.  
  
TBC!!! 


	14. Tsuyosa no Engin Part One

Angel: I won't lie... I don't think this will be a short chapter. -_-' But you never know. I mean, last time I thought it would be a short chapter and it wasn't... Anyway, today the hikaris are forced to put on a play, and you won't believe the parts their given! But it isn't all fun and games. Yugi, Bakura, and Hikaru are going to have quite an adventure, so strap in and get ready for an amazing ride! (Oh yeh, and the new school term starts on April 7 in Japan, so pretend that is when this whole story began. It is about the middle of April now.)  
I found out Bakura's big sister's real name. It is Amane. Apparently she died in a car crash not long before Bakura met Yugi. Bakura's dad gave him the Millennium Ring after her death to try and comfort him. Amane is not included in this because of Kamui and Juri.  
Oh yeah, I picked out kanji symbols for everybody's names... I even made sure I had the correct kanji for the regular YGO characters! I own one of the Japanese novels so that is how I know for sure which symbols they use and what they mean. There is a minor part in this chapter where they talk about their names.  
One last note: I am writing this while watching Tonari no Totoro in Japanese. Actually that is not the note, but it is true. The note is that I am uploading this in 2 parts again because I... feel like it. -_-'  
Disclaimer: I don't own YGO. Remember?  
  
1. Yami 2. Hikari 3. Millennium Item 4. Yami's Power 5. Hikari's Power 6. Item's Power 7. Color  
  
1. Yugioh 2. Yugi Muto 3. Puzzle 4. Erm... I just call his power the "Power of the Millennium Seal" as in the signature, not the animal 5. Golden Detonation Beam and something I haven't named, mwahaha 6. Sends people to the Shadow Realm, does weird things, activates at Yami's will or Yugi's emotions 7. Yellow  
  
1. Kerihk 2. Ryou Bakura 3. Ring (it should have been the Millennium Dream Catcher ^-^) 4. ESP (aka the Balance) 5. ESP (Balance) and something else... What is it? It's a secret! *mwahaha* 6. Opens portals to the Shadow Realm, can detect other Millennium Items, can combine them (how? you'll see....), and anything else I decide it can do (with author powers!) 7. White (how ironic)  
  
1. Kiara 2. Hikaru Daichi 3. Pendant 4. Flight/Wind/Light 5. Eh... the light in the night? I dunno what to call Hikaru's power yet... 6. Makes light in darkness, senses when others are in trouble 7. Pink  
  
1. Setsuna 2. Ai Itsuko (her initials spell her name: A.I.!) 3. Mirror 4. Super-strength 5. Also superstrength, sometimes called the "Power of Love" cuz not only does "Ai" mean "love," but she can only use her superstrength when she's fighting for someone she loves 6. Shows other Item Bearers, shows foes, can reverse magic but it is dangerous to use it to get out of another realm cuz you might end up somewhere between the Real World and the Shadow Realm - in other words you're lost 7. Red (in Egypt red signifies evil but Setsuna and Ai are not evil so I'm using it to signify the American way - love)  
  
1. Ahmose 2. Takehiko Midori 3. Sword 4. Fire 5. Flame (how original) 6. Gets you out of sticky situations (I guess), makes the bearer an expert fighter when he uses it 7. Orange  
  
1. Ay 2. Dajan Hada 3. Key 4. Water 5. Eh, water as well 6. Unlocks any lock 7. Light Blue  
  
1. Himoko 2. Misaki Hikawa 3. Spoon 4. Healing 5. Healing (no duh) 6. Stops time 7. Navy  
  
1. Taidu 2. Tali Takada 3. Broach 4. Of neither world, acts as a go-betweener for the... um... fates? 5. Pretty much just a peacemaker 6. Taps into almost inaccessible magic 7. Green  
  
1. Zhur 2. Pegasus J. Crawford 3. Eye 4. Wouldn't you like to know 5. Like I'd tell you 6. Captures people's souls and a lot of other stuff that I don't feel like telling you 7. Shadowy Gray  
  
Hikari No Yuugi  
Play of Light  
  
by Angel  
  
Chapter Eleven Part One: Tsuyosa no Enjin  
Circle of Power  
  
Yami moaned softly as he began to wake up. A feeling of warmth and wholeness embraced his body, and his lips curled into a smile. Unconsciously he ran his fingers through Yugi's hair pulled his aibou closer to his body. Yugi grinned peacefully in response, snuggling up with his dark side beneath the covers. The two lay there together in complete contentment as outside the sun shone brightly, beckoning the wayward children to continue on their quest.  
  
They knew nothing of what the day would bring, or of what would become of them. But at this moment, none of that mattered. Right now, while they were together, everything was all right. The bond of love between yami and hikari was so strong, that no matter what danger approached them, if they were together like now, they knew they would triumph.  
  
A loud clang suddenly brought them out of their peace. In the kitchen, Kerihk had been making pancakes when Ro had walked in the room and said good morning. Kerihk hadn't heard Ro come in so he screamed and dropped the pan on the floor, splattering pancake batter everywhere. They both shouted for a few minutes before quieting down and cleaning up the mess.  
  
In the meantime, both Yugi and Yami had ducked under the covers when the sound of their shouting became unbearable. Once the anger had subsided, they snuck back out, and finally noticed each other.  
  
Yami's face broke into a smile. "Yugi," he said. His voice was no longer raspy, just thick from speaking first thing in the morning. "When do you come in?"  
  
Yugi blushed. "Last night. I was lonely for you."  
"I missed you, too. It was easier to sleep with you here."  
"Same here."  
  
The yami and hikari smiled at each other. Yami sat up and hugged his aibou.Yugi returned the hug enthusiastically.  
  
"How are you feeling, Yami?" he asked. He reached up to touch Yami's forehead. "Your fever is gone!"  
  
"Un!" Yami grinned. "All I have now is a headache - probably from that racket that woke us up!"  
  
The two laughed. Yugi slid out of the bed, saying he was going to go see if anyone else was awake yet. Yami came too, glad to finally be out of his designated hospital chamber.  
  
(A/N: I am listening to Masami Okui's "Ano Hi no Gogo"... that's why this part is a little weird. XP Now "Shuffle" is on... followed by "Hikari," which is not a YGO song [lol] and then "Call My Name." Just wait until "Kawaita Sakebi" comes on. Then things will REALLY get interesting...)  
  
Yugi opened the door and looked around. Kerihk and Ro, of course, were in the kitchen, but Makimura, Bakura, Mokuba, and Kaiba were still sleeping. Other than that, the living room was deserted.  
  
The boy looked harder. Bakura was actually awake. He was looking at his Duel Monster's deck, though still lying down. Mokuba and Makimura were on the brink of awakening, but Kaiba looked like he could sleep for another hour.  
  
Yami looked at Kaiba guiltily. "I expect he was up a couple of times last night checking to make sure I was okay. It's probably my fault he's so tired."  
  
"He'll be okay." Yugi was happy Yami and Kaiba were finally getting along. "Let's go see who else is up. Ohayo Bakura-kun."  
  
"Ohayo," Bakura responded, waving his Change of Heart card at them. "Ogenki desu ka?"  
  
"We're good," Yugi said. "Where is everyone?"  
  
Bakura gestured to the outside. "Kerihk is making breakfast, but I think Ro is helping him now. Dajan and Takehiko are fighting over who gets to take a shower first... everyone else is outside playing football."  
  
Yugi and Yami exchanged a glance. Together they strolled to the front door and opened it a crack.  
  
Sure enough, everyone else was playing football out in the front. Well, actually only Hikaru, Kiara, Ai, Setsuna, Ahmose, and Ay were playing. Taidu and Himoko sat talking on the same bench Kiara and Hikaru had sat upon the night before. Setsuna lost track of the game when she noticed Yami, and didn't see the ball fly past her. She was blushing very hard, but Yami didn't notice her peculiar actions any more than he noticed a black fly on a black car at midnight.  
  
At the moment, Hikaru ran behind Sesuna and grabbed the ball. Where they had found a football, no one knows, but they had one. Hikaru raced past the opposing team and scored a one-shot touchdown. Kiara, Setsuna (when she regained her dignity), and Ai laughed as Ay and Ahmose stomped on the ground in defeat.  
  
"No fair!" Ahmose growled, faking annoyance. "It's four against one! And Hikaru and Kiara are very fast!"  
  
"It's in the blood," Kiara giggled. "Yami is super-fast, too."  
  
"So is Yugi," Hikaru added thoughtfully, remembering the first time they met. (A/N: I actually didn't post the chapter where Yugi and Hikaru first met because I didn't think anyone would be interested. It was about Yugi and Hikaru competing to see who was the better gamer... at one point they even ran a race... I'm not telling who won... maybe it was no one! Maybe I'll post it some day.)  
  
"It's four against three now," Dajan's voice said. He walked past Yugi and Yami, nodded hello, and opened the door all the way. His hair was wet and he smelled like ivory soap. "I got to take my shower first. I can play now."  
  
Ay cheered for his hikari, using some words Yugi didn't understand. Ay explained they were Greek words he picked up on one of his many voyages as a sailor for the Pharaoh's trading comittee. Yugi thought it must be interesting to go to so many different places.  
  
"Maybe I'll tell you all about them some day," Ay said. He swung an arm around Dajan. "I've already given Dajan some detailed accounts."  
  
"You should tell them about your trip to Morocco," Dajan suggested. "That was my favorite."  
  
"No, the most interesting tales would be in Luxor," Yami laughed, winking.  
"Luxor?" Yugi repeated. (A/N: Uh-oh, Kawaita Sakebi is playing... o.O)  
"Where I lived. We had fun there. Luxor is the Egyptian name for Thebes," Yami explained. "Thebes is the Greek name. It's the capital of Egypt."  
  
"No, it's not." Kaiba was awake now and had wandered outside. "Cairo is the capital now."  
  
"Well, it used to be Thebes. That's where the palace is anyway."  
"There are lots of palaces!"  
"That's where MY palace was!"  
"You seem to be back to normal."  
  
Yami sweatdropped and stuck out his tongue at the CEO. "My fever's gone," he said triumphantly.  
  
Kaiba grunted. "What about your cuts? Are they bothering you?"  
  
It was just Yami's luck that at the same moment Kaiba asked that question, he winced from a sudden pang from the gash in his side. He blushed and tried to act like he hadn't felt anything, but Kaiba "hmmed" knowingly. Himoko may have tried to heal the wounds the day before, but some of them were too deep for her magic to completely heal.  
  
"I'm fine, really!" Yami cried angrily. "Besides, you promised we would leave today!"  
  
Kaiba rolled his eyes and said he wasn't backing out on their agreement.  
  
Ro popped his head out the door. "One more game, guys, and then breakfast will be ready," he said.  
  
"OK!"  
  
Yugi tugged Yami's shirt. "Let's go," he said. "Takehiko must be almost done in the shower. He wouldn't stay in long because he doesn't like water."  
  
"Neither do I," Hikaru commented, taking the football back to her side of the field. She passed it to Dajan and joined Yugi on the front steps. "A pool or a beach is okay, but when we were thrown into the ocean the other day I was so scared! It's like diving to a pit of blackness that will swallow you up any second now. And I'm scared of the undertow. I remember one time Takashi went floating out in a big orange tube when we went to the ocean back in Okinawa. I was... eight, I think, and still getting used to living with Takashi and Keikeru. Anyway, I was so afraid that the undertow was going to grab Takashi and pull him under, since he was floating so far away. Keikeru tried to get me to calm down, and his friends were laughing and stuff, but I just kept calling for Takashi to come back. He couldn't hear me... eventually Keikeru bought me a popsicle and I calmed down. But when Takashi finally came swimming back, I was really relieved."  
  
Kiara smiled. She thought back to the day that Hikaru had realized the spirit of the Millennium Pendant was real. It had been about a year ago, maybe a little less. One of the first things they had talked about were their fears - and Kiara was a little hydrophobic herself, much to Hikaru's delight.  
  
Yami was different. He liked the water, but he was claustrophobic. No one understood how he could stand being confined in the Millennium Puzzle for so long without flipping out. Kiara remembered one time in the marketplace where he got stuck in a crowd of people and nearly began to cry because of how trapped he felt. She smiled warmly at the memory.  
  
Yugi and Yami went off to the showers where they found Takehiko just finishing up. Being yami and hikari, they had no problem bathing together to get it done faster. Takehiko joined the boys' football team, making it a fair game of four-on-four, and finally they put up a good fight. Ro and Kerihk actually managed to have a good time making breakfast - unlike his counterpart, Ro was easier to talk to than Kaiba. He could be cold and menacing, but only to people he disliked (which, in the beginning of their adventure, had included Hikaru and her friends). He was a bit more outgoing than his employer. When Mokuba and Makimura woke up, Bakura got out some paper and pencils for them to draw with and played with them to keep them from annoying their brothers. Kaiba walked back to the couch and lay down to catch up on a few more minutes of sleep.  
  
*  
  
(A/N: I drew a really awesome picture of Malik, Yami, and Tea... I was going to send it in to Shonen Jump to publish in their Fan Art section - I have no idea what the ratio of art they publish is but what the heck - but I brought it into school to show my art teacher, and... Well, she wanted to put it in the art show, but then she unknowingly sprayed water all over it and it got ruined. *sob* Yami has a big purple blot over his eye now... maybe I'll re-draw it and send it in again anyway... On a lighter note, my Magic Knight Rayearth music video I downloaded is awesome! Can't stop watching it! ^-^)  
  
After a delicious breakfast of pancakes was over, the group packed up their bags and got ready to leave. The girls took hours brushing their hair and prettying themselves up. Himoko even undid Kiara's entire braid because it had started to fall apart, and then redid it! The other girls were amazed at how long Kiara's hair was when it was down, reaching past her waist and falling to its full length just above her knees. Compared to Hikaru's, which stopped short of her chin, they seemed like two totally different people. While on their own, Taidu asked Tali to keep the black Book of Truth in Tali's bag, just in case they needed it.  
  
The boys were packing up in the living room rather loudly. Takehiko had stolen one of Yugi's socks and was pretending to hold it for ransom, and Dajan and Mokuba were bidding above the shouts and scoldings of Yugi. Taidu stuck her head in to say, "Sotto, sotto!" just as Yami let out a loud bid of "Negative fifty cents!" so he got a wack on the head from her. Yugi shook his head, whining, "My own yami tries to buy my socks from a thief!"  
  
Kaiba walked up to the chair where Kerihk and Bakura were packing up their belongings. He coughed to get their attention.  
  
Kerihk looked up at him from his spot on the floor with an annoyed glint in his eyes, as if saying, "Why are you here? Can't you see we're busy?" Kaiba found comfort in the fact that Bakura's gaze was cheerful and curious.  
  
"I wanted to thank you for keeping Mokuba and Makimura occupied this morning," Kaiba began, looking at the pale-haired hikari below him. "I really needed to rest a little longer."  
  
"Oh, it was no trouble, Kaiba-kun," Bakura replied with a sweet smile. "They're good kids. All I did was get out some paper and pencils for them."  
  
"You must have been very entertaining then, retrieving paper and pencils, because otherwise they would have tried to bother me or Ro. If you can make a game out of finding paper and pencils, then you must be very talented."  
  
Bakura blushed, embarrassed but pleased. Kaiba was complimenting him in his own weird way.  
  
Kerihk's look invited Kaiba to scram, so he wandered over to where Yami was sitting and stood above him looking down.  
  
Yami looked up and raised an eyebrow questioningly. Kaiba raised his own eyebrow in response. The two stayed in this ridiculous pose for a few minutes before Kaiba reached down past Yami to ruffle Mokuba's hair. His face was right besides Yami's ear now.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" he whispered.  
  
Yami growled. Kaiba smirked and knew that was a "yes."  
  
At long last everyone was packed up and ready to go. Everyone had brought food in their bags just in case their luck wasn't so good again, but they had had to find bags in the storage room since most of them had lost their own in the river. Only a few of them still had their original belongings, and most of the kids were stuck wearing the same clothes for the rest of the journey.  
  
Once outside, there was a short argument between a particular party over which way to go. Eventually Kiara sighed, exasperated, and flew into the sky to search for the closest pathway from the smaller island to the larger one. She returned to announce that there seemed to be a bridge to the next island on the left. So left was the direction they took, and of course Ay was very smug about his navigational talent and Ahmose was very upset that he had been wrong to suggest going right.  
  
They walked for several hours, feeling happy and light-of-heart despite their peril. They chatted and laughed and brooded over their thoughts, occasionally mentioning Jonouchi, Anzu, Honda, Tetsuya, Naoko, and Ryoku. Yami soon grew tired from all the walking, as the cuts on his ankles were irritated by the quick progression. Kaiba couldn't resist an "I told you so," but he was more than happy to let the group rest for a few minutes so everyone - himself included - could regain their strength.  
  
Yami rubbed his ankles and winced slightly. Yugi looked at him with worried violet eyes. "How badly does it hurt?" he asked anxiously.  
  
The pharaoh laughed. "Not at all," he answered. "Despite the sharp sting going up my legs."  
  
Yugi looked even more anxious at first, but Yami's smile caused him to relax and laugh a little.  
  
Yami rested his back against a tree trunk and rubbed his legs. He met Yugi's worried inquiries with laughter, trying to bring sweet happiness back into his hikari's innocent eyes. Soon he felt someone staring at him, so he turned to look. Immediately his gaze was drawn to Setsuna, who was watching him intently. She blushed when he noticed her and quickly turned her face away. Yami gaze a quizzical look, unaware of her feelings. The other yamis exchanged glances of secretive knowledge, smiling at the cute situation. Setsuna, the romantic... and Yami, the oblivious.  
  
One Millennium Spirit, however, did not find the predicament "cute". Taidu strongly discouraged Setsuna's feelings. Taidu approved of hardly anything Yami did, because he had always been so different from the other princes of Egypt, but she disliked the idea of a prince and a strong-willed Jew having a relationship even more.  
  
Setsuna stood up and sighed. Yami was still watching her, wondering why she had been staring. She smiled and nodded at him. He blinked in question, but she began walking in the other direction.  
  
She passed the rest of the group in silence and wandered into the forest. There she let out a loud sigh, and leaned against a tree, hugging herself.  
  
"Ugh. Why is he so naive? I don't know what to think anymore." She sighed again and banged her forehead against the tree trunk. "He's just... something else. He looks at me in a way no one else ever has. And I just want him to be happy... that's why I could never tell him how I feel."  
  
"Aww, what a touching ending line. I should include it in my play."  
  
Setsuna gasped and looked up. Where had that voice come from? "Who are you?"  
  
"Oh, no one important. Just a wanderer... with no past, no future, and barely a present to call my own." The voice gasped. "What a perfect line for the femme fatale! Let me write it down, quickly!"  
  
Setsuna looked wildly around. The voice seemed to be coming from above. "What's your name?"  
  
The voice sighed, and said in a mysterious, sad voice, "I don't have a name worth telling. My life, my name, none of it matters. I'm a lost soul who wanders this island alone, alone with my boring life for company. To make up for the lack of adventure, I write plays. Action, adventure, fantasy, romance... you name it, I've written it. I have too much time on my hands." The person laughed caustically. "But if you must know, they call me Ching. Ching Din-ling."  
  
Setsuna sweatdropped. "Ching Din-ling? No offense, but that name..." She sucked in her breath suddenly. "Ching! Not Zhur's Melody Gamer?"  
  
The person suddenly jumped out of the trees, landing on both feet. It was a girl with sad gray eyes and shoulder-length black hair. She was dressed entirely in black, and her skin was pale like the moon. From her appearance, she was definitely one of Zhur's Shadow Gamers - Ching Din-ling, the Melody Gamer.  
  
"Ah, yes," Ching purred, running her fingers through her ebony hair. "Lord Zhur. Yes, I was one of his followers. One can't quite escape that, can one? But now, of course, I am on my own. That Zhur is a wretched creep and I can't stand him. But I can't get off this island either. I'm all alone now that I've abandoned him..."  
  
Setsuna narrowed her eyes angrily. "What are you doing here?" she demanded to know, hands balled into fists at her sides. "If you're planning on harming my friends, you can just forget it! I'll have you know we have our memories back now, and I'm sure I can recall how to defeat you -"  
  
Ching wagged her finger. "Tsk, tsk. Silly Gamer of Light. I'm not interested at you at all, dear. I told you, I'm not working for Zhur anymore."  
  
"Then what -"  
  
"To make it easier on the both of us, take me back to your friends. No doubt they will want to hear what I have to say as well."  
  
The Hebrew girl cocked her head and folded her arms. Ching's unnerving glare disturbed her. "What is it that you have to say? Why should we care to hear it?"  
  
Suddenly Ching dashed forward, until she was face-to-face with Setsuna. Setsuna was a little shorter than the height of Anzu, so she had to look up to read Ching's pale face. Ching herself was maybe 5'8" and with her thin body she resembled a birch twig.  
  
"I know what you seek," she said in a deep, feminine voice. "Your friends, the prisoners of Zhur, and his vessel, Pegasus. You intend to cross the river and reach the mainland in order to get to his castle. But the river is treacherous - I should know. I had to cross it to escape him myself. I was unable to succeed in doing so. I found a different, much safer way. It takes longer, but at least I didn't die trying. I intended to help you and your friends find the way to the castle, since you are so intent on reaching it and rescuing the captives. Of course, I like to take things the slow way. I decided to let you come to me instead of trying to tail you. I had fallen asleep up there in the treetops, and would have missed your group if you hadn't come here with your lover's lament.  
  
"I know a way to the castle that is much safer than the river. It is only dangerous for fools. Take me to your friends and I will tell you the way."  
  
There was a pause. Setsuna licked her lips and thought. 'She could be lying,' she mused. 'She could still be working for Zhur. She hasn't shown me any proof that she has abandoned Zhur, and in all my memories I can't remember any of Zhur's Shadow Gamers even temporarily deserting him. Not until the very end... Himoko told me Zhur was on his own when he and Yami-sama faced off for the last time in Egypt. I don't know why they didn't join them. I was killed before Yami was even made Pharaoh, so I'm missing a big section of the journey in my memories. Maybe the others destroyed all his Gamers? Maa, naa. Not that it matters. I should take her back to the others, I guess. Ching is pretty harmless from what I remember. Yami-sama will know what to do with her... and if he doesn't, I'm sure Taidu will come up with something.'  
  
"All right," she said aloud. "I'll take you to my friends. But don't pull any funny business. I'm watching you, and the others will be too. We all know better than to trust one who followed Zhur right away.  
  
Ching smiled with exaggerated sweetness. Setsuna began to led her to their resting place. She wondered if the hikaris would accept Ching as quickly as they did everyone else. Given that they always trusted anyone pretty quickly (naturally assuming the "innocent until proven guilt" shtick), that would probably be the case.  
  
Every eye turned in Setsuna's and Ching's direction when they arrived at the resting stop. Every face questioned Setsuna, inquiring of the identity of the odd girl she brought along. Taidu grimaced when she realized Ching was a Shadow Gamer of Darkness. The hikaris looked up quizzically, but it was Setsuna's own hikari that made the first move.  
  
"Aibou," she began. "Who's that? Where did you go?"  
  
Setsuna glared at Ai - the questions were simple, but blunt. Setsuna wasn't quite sure how to easily answer them. She decided to make light of it. "All right... aibou. This is someone. I went someplace. Happy?"  
  
"Genki," Ai replied unhappily. "Be serious, Setsuna-chan."  
  
Setsuna looked around desperately. Kiara gave her an encouraging glance; Yami and Yugi shared the same expectant smile. She sighed, and her shoulders drooped. "This is - Ching Din-ling. She was one of Zhur's - Pegasus's Shadow Gamers. She claims to have quit though. She says she knows a better way to his castle than crossing the river."  
  
Silence ensued. Taidu shot her a cold glare. Himoko and Kiara looked worried, but Ahmose, Ay, and Yami simply frowned and dove into deep thought. The hikaris all looked surprised, and maybe a little wary, but for the most part they seemed unsure. Mokuba and Makimura looked completely clueless, as did Ro, although he tried to hide it. Kaiba looked at Ching with the same icy stare Taidu was giving Setsuna.  
  
Himoko finally spoke. "You say she knows a better way into the castle? What's wrong with the way we're using now?"  
  
"The river is extremely fast and wide," Ching said. "There is no way you could swim across. The bridge collapsed long ago. You could never get across - the current is even too swift for any canoes."  
  
"Why are you telling us this?" Ay asked. He doubted she was telling the truth about the river.  
  
"Because I know another way," Ching answered. "I don't want to go back to Zhur, but I'm willing to help anyone who wants to defeat him. He's such a big... well, you know. Anyway, I hate him, but I'm not strong enough to defeat him, and I'm afraid to even try. But I have no doubt in my mind..."  
  
Here she broke off and locked eyes with Yami, who was still sitting on the ground. She walked forward and bent down to eye-level with him. She smiled in a way all the yamis found to be much too sexy.  
  
"... That your Shadow Gamers can beat him." Yami raised an eyebrow in quandary. He seemed to be contemplating her words, but he looked tired and his mind was fuzzy. It even took a minute for him to realize her hand had reached his face and was caressing his golden bangs. He glared and reached up to bat it away.  
  
She ignored his efforts and cupped her hands around his face. He loked at her in surprise, still glaring. Yugi looked on uncomfortably; Kiara froze where she was; and Setsuna looked daggers at Ching.  
  
"You listen here -" Yami began to scold, but soon he found himself locked in a fiery kiss. He jerked back in astonishment, but she went with him and their heads banged against the tree. Her hands gripped his shoulders firmly. The others gasped and rushed to pry her from him.  
  
It looked as though the kiss would last forever. Yugi tried to shove himself between the two, but Ching just pressed her mouth against Yami's harder. As the others began to push in, she opened her eyes and released him.  
  
Yami fell against the tree when she let him go. Suddenly the Millennium Seal - the Eye symbol - began to glowb brightly on his forehead. His eyes closed and his hair flew back as if a giant wind were blowing against his face. A great light flared up around him, and soon engulfed the group. They shaded their eyes, and fear clutched their hearts; Yami seemed unconscious of what he was doing.  
  
All of a sudden, they felt their feet lift off the ground. The Egyptians gasped when they realized what was going on.  
  
Ahmose reached out and grabbed Yami's arm. "Yami-sama! Stop this! Listen to me! Yami-sama!"  
  
The light completely enveloped them now, and a great wind blew them high into the sky. Blinded by the glow, everyone grabbed hold of the nearest person, with no idea who they were. They waited apprehensively for the end.  
  
***  
  
"Misaki."  
"Mmm... sou?"  
"Get off."  
  
Misaki gasped and leaped off of Kaiba, whom she had fallen on top of when they had landed with a crash. Both were blushing thoroughly; Misaki looked apologetic; Kaiba's face flared with annoyance.  
  
The others were also standing up and brushing themselves off. Mokuba and Makimura had landed atop Bakura, who had broken their fall. They were holding onto his legs tightly and he couldn't get up. Kaiba and Ro (who had been holding on to Ay) walked over to rescue him.  
  
Yami was buried beneath Ahmose, Kerihk, and Taidu. It took the three of them a minute. to realize that they were lying on him, and when they had gotten off him he gasped for air like he had never breathed before. Taidu was especially embarrassed by this and quickly stomped away to hide her pink face. Yugi and Kiara had both landed on their heads and were lying unconscious, Yugi straddled over Kiara's chest. Hikaru (who had fallen on Takehiko, who had fallen on Dajan) felt a little tinge of jealously, but whether she was jealous of her lover or her yami was unknown. She slapped them both lightly until they woke up. Kiara realized at once what the problem was and quickly shoved Yugi towards Hikaru so their lips connected. After the shock of that unintended smooch, Kiara ruffled her hikari's hand and winked. Tali, Misaki, and Himoko had landed on three chairs - chairs of all things! When they got up, the realized the chairs were red theatre chairs. They exchanged confused glances.  
  
Ai and Setsuna had fallen together at the feet of Ching. After rubbing their heads, they sat up and looked around. Setsuna glared at Ching. "What is the meaning of this?!"  
  
Ching smirked; she was the only one that had landed on her feet. She glanced at Yami and said sweetly, "Daijobu?"  
  
Yami coughed and turned to her. "What did you do to me?!" he exclaimed.  
  
She laughed shrilly. "I kissed you." He glared. "Ok, ok. When I kissed you, I drew power from you and transformed it into energy to transport you all here." She waved a hand around. "You had no power to stop me in your current state; that moron Jyor-lang certainly did his work well, even if he lost."  
  
Setsuna growled. "You tricked us! I gave you a second chance and you tricked us!"  
  
Ching rolled her eyes. "Serves you right for being so gullible."  
  
Yami wiped his mouth in disgust. As he looked around, he found that they had been taken to a building with many red theatre seats like the ones Tali, Misaki, and Himoko had landed on. He also realized that he was far above the chairs, on a large stage adorned with scenery and sets. Why on earth had she brought them here?  
  
Ching giggled. "Misaki-san, Tali-san, you might want to come up here," she said to the two girls sitting below the stage. "This is a challenge for the hikaris."  
  
The hikaris blinked and looked at each other. The yamis looked wary. Kaiba, Mokuba, Ro, and Makimura wonderyed why they had even been brought into this mess. (A/N: The authoress wonders why too... "TOTORO, TOTORO! TOTORO, TOTORO! LALALALALALALALALALA, AND I HARDLY UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS SONG...")  
  
Ching waited until everyone was on stage. Then she clasped her hands together and explained, "This is a challenge from Pegasus. So far you've managed to outrun Iakara, defeat Chahahka, win against Jyor-lang, and escape from the dungeon of Pegasus's castle. Now you're going to have to face Ching Din-ling, but I've a much harder test." She drew an invisible square with her index finger, and the outline filled in to become a floating scroll. "Like I said, this test is for the hikaris. It's a play. Just a harmless, simple play. Once you sign the scroll, you will be given your parts in the play. You have to act out the entire play - 'Ramose and Aïda' I call it. If you manage to get through to the last scene, an exit will appear for you. But there's a twist - I haven't included the last line. You'll have to discover who says it and what it is all on your own, and until you get it right, you're stuck here!"  
  
The group gaped. This was the strangest challenge they had ever been given! Even stranger than Anzu vs. the Penguin!  
  
"You mean we have to act out a play? What kind of challenge is that?" Ai cried.  
"Don't forget, it's the ending where it gets tough," Ryou reminded her.  
"And only the hikaris are allowed to take part in it?" Ay added.  
"I bet it's because one of us said the last line sometime in our lives," Kiara responded grumpily.  
"All right! A play! This'll be so fun!" Hikaru shouted, punching the air. The others face-faulted.  
  
Kaiba and Ro weren't nearly so enthusiastic about the play, but luckily for them they didn't need to take part in it. Mokuba and Makimura shared Hikaru's love for the stage and couldn't wait to see the show. They said it would be like going to a high school drama performance.  
  
Finally Taidu said, "You're not giving us a choice here, are you?"  
Ching smiled.  
"Fine."  
  
The yamis, the Kaibas, and the Fujishimas climbed down from the stage and took their seats in the audience. Kiara got the end seat, followed by Yami, followed by Kerihk. The others scattered themselves randomly throughout the row.  
  
Ching looked at the young hikaris. "Sign the scroll," she commanded. "Your parts will appear beside your name."  
  
Nobody moved at first. At last Hikaru grabbed the floating gel pen that had materialized beside the scroll and wrote her name: Daichi Hikaru. Next Yugi took his turn and signed the scroll, as did the others until they all had signed it.  
  
Misaki peered at the scroll after she finished signing it, the last of the eight actors. "That's neat," she said softly.  
  
"What's meat?" Hikaru inquired.  
  
"Our names. I'm a big kanji freak, you see, and I just find the kanji we all use interesting. I mean, look here. Takehiko's personal name is made up of three kanji - bamboo, 'take'; fire, 'hi'; and child 'ko.' Of course his family name means 'green.' But it's funny because Takehiko's yami uses fire power, and 'fire child' is right in Takehiko's name."  
  
Takehiko smiled cheesily. "Yeah! I have a cool name!"  
"You sure do, Master Bamboo," Dajan sniggered. Takehiko snorted.  
  
Misaki slipped off her glasses to get an upclose look of the writing. "My name, of course, means 'cape.' Just one kanji. Hikaru, yours is interesting - the kanji for your personal name means 'light', and your last name is made up of three kanji - peace, 'da'; will, 'i'; and thousan, 'chi.' 'A thousand peaceful wills.' Add your personal name and you get 'A thousan peaceful wills of light.'"  
  
Hikaru blushed. "I love kanji too, because of my name. Yugi's is cool! Both his family name and personal name have something to do with games."  
  
Misaki nodded. "Bakura, I can't read your family name. I haven't seen those symbols before - I keep wanting to say 'fruit', but I'm pretty sure that's different."  
  
Bakura nodded. "The first kanji in my family name, 'baku', means 'tapir.' Not used too often, right? My personal name means 'finish, complete.'"  
  
Ai added, "My personal name means 'love.' It's pretty, but it's a hassle to write. So many lines!"  
  
"Mine has more," Yugi giggled. "Ryou's is definitely the simplest - only one stroke for his personal name!"  
  
Takehiko looked at Tali and Dajan. "You two don't have kanji for your personal names. Why not?"  
  
"My personal name is Greek," Dajan explained. "I'm half Greek. My dad was on a trip to Greece when he met my mom, Rhoda. They named me Dajan when I was born, and I've always just used katakana for my name."  
  
"My name is African," Tali began after he had finished. "I don't have any African blood, but my parents are lovers of foreign names and chose that one for me. There is no 'li' symbol in Japanese, so I also just use the katakana for 'ta' and 'ri'."  
  
"Are you quite finished?" Ching asked impatiently. "How long do you want to stay here? Forever?"  
  
"Iyaiya!" the gang shrieked. "We're done! We're ready!"  
  
"Good." She flicked her hand, and the parts appeared next to their names. Which part everyone was engaged for, you will see...  
  
***  
  
To be honest, everyone was actually relieved that this challenge was so easy, except for the mystery of the last line. All felt a little stage fright, some more than others, but at least they weren't fighting anyone. Ching was sitting in the very last row of seats, and Misaki sat right beside her. She was a little nervous to be sitting so close to someone who obviously hadn't stepped out of league with Pegasus, but she had no choice because she had been given the part of the narrator. She held a microphone in one hand and a script in the other, and couldn't help but laugh over parts of the play. Yami was in for a surprise - one of the characters was remarkably like him.  
  
Behind scenes, the hikaris were pulling on their costumes. Ai, Dajan, and Tali had been given the parts of the "children." They were dressed in simple ancient Egyptian robes, which gave away the setting of the story. Takehiko had two parts, one small one and one large one. The first part was ''man who tells Pharaoh news of evil dude," in which he dresses as a commoner, and the second was "friend of the pharaoh" where he dressed as a warrior.  
  
Ai was currently helping Bakura with his costume, and the other three were giggling and laughing about each other's costumes when Hikaru came out of the dressing room.  
  
Tali noticed her first. Her face lit up. "Hikaru-chan! You look great!"  
"Wowzer!" Takehiko and Dajan cried, blushing a little.  
  
Hikaru was reddening too. She brushed imaginary dirt off her costume and looked embarrassed. "Thanks, you guys." Hikaru had the part of the pharaoh. She wore a black sleeveless shirt with a pink Millennium Seal (a/n: remember that the Millennium Seal is the Millennium Eye symbol) sewn on it. She had a golden belt and white skirt, and on her feet were golden sandals. Dangling from her ears were golden earrings and she also wore a golden clasp around her neck. A lavender cape billowed out behind her; she was the living image of a New Kingdom Egyptian pharaoh.  
  
"You're the cutest pharaoh ever!" Tali exclaimed.  
  
Hikaru smiled weakly. "So, uh, where are Yugi and Ryou?"  
  
Takehiko shrugged. "I think Yugi is behind stage learning to walk in his freaky costume. Ai went to help Bakura with his, but I don't know where -"  
  
"NO WAY!"  
  
The three gasped and looked around curiously. "That sounded like Bakura!" Dajan said. They quickly rushed into the wings to see what the problem was.  
  
"Ryou-chan, nan -" Hikaru stopped in mid-sentence when she caught sight of Bakura and Ai. "Ya... re..."  
  
Bakura was standing with Ai, red from head to toe. He stood dressed in a two-piece white Egyptian dress, golden jewlery danging from his ears and arms. On his feet were wooden sandals, and a blue sash was tied around his waist. He looked beautiful, so Ai was satisfied with her work - but he wasn't.  
  
"No way!" he cried again. "There is absolutely no way I'm going out there in this! Why does it have to be so girly?"  
  
"Well, you're the pharaoh's girlfriend." Ai nodded as if this explained everything.  
  
"So what? I'm not a girl! I just have long hair! Why do I have to be the stupid Aïda? I'm a boy!"  
  
Ai rolled her eyes. "We weren't given a choice about our parts. You were given the pharaoh's lover, Aïda. So you have to act like a girl. Hikaru has to act like a boy, does that comfort you any?"  
  
"She always acts like a boy," Takehiko whispered, earning him a stomp on the foot from Hikaru. "See? Owch - you proved my point!"  
  
Ai continued, "You even get to kiss Hikaru. That's what you want, isn't it?"  
  
Hikaru looked startled at Ai's outburst. True, she realized Bakura had a crush on her - although he didn't try to get her to like him back now that he knew she loved Yugi - and she understood that Ai liked Bakura, but Ai couldn't possibly be jealous of Hikaru, could she?  
  
Bakura lowered his gaze. "Not really..."  
  
The awkward moment was interrupted when Kiara burst into the wings. "Aren't you guys ready yet? Hikaru - you look adorable! And Ryou-chan, you just look so cute! Kawaii!"  
  
Ryou shot her a death glare. Kiara sweatdropped.  
  
"He doesn't want to do it," Ai said in mock anger, back to her old self. "I told him there isn't anyone around to see him that will tease him about it or anything, but even so."  
  
Kiara's eyes widened. Then she sighed loudly. "That's too bad," she said. "I was hoping to see a good play. Not just for me, but for everyone - Mokuba and Makimura especially."  
  
Bakura looked up expectantly.  
  
"They were dragged into a mess they're much too young for... the poor dears. I'm sure they would have loved to be entertained and joyful even for a short while." Kiara grinned to herself when she saw guilt pass over the pale boy's face. "But I suppose it can't be helped, if you really don't want to..."  
  
"OK! I'LL DO IT ALREADY! GEEZ!" Bakura tugged up his toge and went storming backstage. Then he stuck his head back into the wing to add, "BUT WHAT KIND OF GIRL DOESN'T SHAVE HER LEGS?!"  
  
"A British girl," Tali commented. At this, everyone laughed.  
  
Kiara went back to her seats after being complimented on her shrewd handling of boys. She plopped down besides Yami and wiggled her eyebrows at Kerihk, who just looked back curiously.  
  
"Did you see what part Yugi has?" Yami whispered.  
  
Kiara shook her head. "Gomen nasai. He wasn't there."  
  
Suddenly the lights dimmed, and the curtain was drawn. The yamis, Kaibas, and Fujishimas looked on in awe as a beautiful set of Egypt came into view. Pyramids and sand were painted on the scenery. A chariot was placed nearby. And there, standing in the spotlight, was...  
  
*  
  
Angel: Da da da daa!!! Cliffhanger! Bum bum bum bum bum bum!! Did y'all have a good time? Huh? Huh?  
  
Everyone but Bakura: YES!  
  
Bakura: NO!  
  
Angel: All in favor of continuing the play, say "Aye!" All opposed, say "Nay!"  
  
Everyone but Bakura: Aye!  
  
Bakura: Nay!  
  
Everyone else: *girly giggles*  
  
Angel: Yeppers, we're_on_a_roll! Next chapter - Tsuyosa no Enjin Part Two - will be up ASAP!  
  
Readers: Sure it will... 


End file.
